Home for the Holidays
by Darkest Desire
Summary: When Harry visits The Burrow for winter holidays his last year at Hogwarts, he ends up getting more than he bargained for. Eventually Bill/Harry SLASH, Side pairing of Ron/Hermione
1. Dinner and a Show

Summary: For the last Christmas they may ever get the chance to spend all together, the Weasley boys (Fred, George, Percy, Charlie, and Bill) are coming home to spend time with the rest of the clan (including Harry and Hermione.) But, when Bill gets there ahead of schedule and Harry has a fight with his friends, two people will end up spending more time together than anticipated and something more than brotherly love will develop. SLASH. Bill/Harry

Disclaimer: I (as you might have guessed) do not own Harry Potter or anything even remotely affiliated with it.

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CHAPTER ONE: DINNER AND A SHOW

"So, Ron, you said your brothers were going to come home soon for a couple of weeks?" Harry asked politely, passing the basket of bread across to Ginny (who had asked for it), trying to start up a conversation at the dinner table. Now that Fred and George were out of the house—having bought the Shrieking Shack for their joke shop (it really was in an excellent location after all, plus they made a fortune off of all the Hogwarts students who they easily supplied by way of the secret passage) and converted the upper level into a three bedroom flat, which they shared with Lee—things just hadn't been quite so...lively? Interesting? Entertaining? It was hard to put a finger on exactly what it was, but there certainly weren't as many 'surprises' now-a-days, which had been (for the most part) the twins' doing.

"Yep, Gred and Forge are coming, even though they say they'll be missing out on a lot of business, even with Lee staying in Hogsmeade to run the shop. Then there's Percy. He says he can only make it for a couple of days—_important_ ministry business to attend to, you know; he's so full of it. And of course Charlie is coming. He said that there's a dragon they need to attend to somewhere around these parts anyways. That leaves Bill. He's coming too, though I'm not exactly sure when. Apparently the goblins become rather nasty towards their staff around this time of year—you know, with the holidays and all. They love all of the transactions or whatever from everyone buying all sorts of presents and everything, but they get sort of pissed when the staff asks for vacation time—least that's what Bill said—knowing those goblins, though, I don't doubt it in the least," Ron responded, chewing on a piece of chicken as he talked.

Mrs. Weasley hastily chastised her son for his "ungainly manners" and Ron rolled his eyes before reluctantly apologizing for his behavior. "I don't see why she cares so much; it's not like we have company or anything," Ron expressed quietly to Harry when Mrs. Weasley shifted her attention as she inquired about how Hermione's classes were going. This served as an effective distraction so that she didn't overhear Ron's comment.

Harry merely shrugged his shoulders, as if to say that he didn't know why, not really wanting to get involved. He noted, happily, that Ron didn't consider him—or Hermione for that matter—company. Did that mean that they were like family to him? He hoped so...he considered the Weasleys as _his_ family. But, of course, he didn't have any _real_ family to speak of (the Dursleys, naturally, didn't count). The Weasleys on the other hand, had enough children to start their own quidditch team. They didn't need any more mouths to feed or children to take care of, and yet...they considered him a part of their family. All of them did, not just Ron, as they had made clear on several occasions, which touched Harry more deeply than anything else he had ever experienced and more than words could express.

His musings were cut short, however, by Mrs. Weasley's latest grievance over Ron's manners (or lack thereof.) "Ron, dear, you _know_ it's not polite to put your elbows on the table," she nagged at him with exasperation.

Ron let out a small huff of irritation, mumbling under his breath, "I don't see why she has to make such a big fuss about it," as Harry smiled at the annoyed look on his friend's face and his almost inaudible comment that was obviously meant for only him to overhear.

"What was that now, Ronald?" Mrs. Weasley asked in a no-nonsense tone, apparently having heard Ron's mumbling and instinctively knowing it was aimed towards her.

"Nothing, mum," Ron replied with practiced ease. "Just wondering when dessert will be ready," he added at his mother's unconvinced and suspicious look.

Although Molly, as the mother of seven children and the person who had raised the troublesome twins, knew a lie when she heard one, she let this one slid, choosing to answer the question Ron had asked rather than call him out on it. "Well, it's going to be another hour or so. Why don't you and your friends go play a game with your sister or something until it's ready," she suggested, not wanting Ginny to feel left out, before levitating the dishes and heading into the kitchen.

Taking his mother's advice, Ron turned to Harry, Hermione, and Ginny. "So, do you guys want to play quidditch?" he asked somewhat hopefully, sending a questioning look to each of the three he was addressing.

"Well, I'm up for—" Harry began before an indignant huff from Hermione, signaling the beginning of a lengthy tirade, cut him off.

"Honestly! You know there are _other_ things we can do besides play quidditch," she announced, sounding rather peeved. "Some of us would rather do something _else_ for a change you know."

Ron was, by now, staring at her with a rather shocked and outraged look on his face. _How dare she insult quidditch?_ he thought to himself, _She doesn't know _what_ she's talking about._ "What's _wrong_ with quidditch? Besides, I don't see _you_ coming up with anything better," Ron declared, his voice rising with his anger.

"What's wrong with it, _Ron_, is that it is _all_ you _ever_ want to do. Why don't you include me in something for a change? Perhaps we could even do something that _I_ would like to do," Hermione shouted back, acting quite unlike herself. It was obvious that she was quite upset.

"The only reason why you don't like quidditch and won't ever play it with us is because you're no good at it. It probably just pisses you off that it's the one thing that I'm better than you at, but that doesn't mean you should try to stop me from playing it just because you don't want to make a bloody fool out of yourself," Ron threw back.

"Enough!" Harry finally interrupted the two, causing them to start a bit at his unexpected outburst. Ginny seemed a bit shocked as well, but also relieved that someone was finally doing something to stop the escalating insults. "Listen up, I am sick and tired of the way you two keep _constantly_ bickering and insulting each other! You guys are my best friends, but it's no fun to be around you when you act like this. And what's the big deal anyway? Most of the time you fight over stupid, little things, like what we're going to do for an hour until dessert is ready, and end up turning it into some huge deal; which it's _not_. I don't know what has gotten into you two lately, but whatever it is, can't you just give it a rest?" Harry pleaded. His harsh words hit Hermione and Ron like a bludger, bringing an uncomfortable silence down between all four of the room's occupants.

Finally Hermione worked up the nerve to form some sort of reply. "I...Harry, I'm sorry. I guess I just...I didn't realize our fighting was bothering you so much," she spoke lamely, her voice quiet and abashed. Harry nodded his head slightly in silent acceptance of her apology.

"Yeah, mate, I'm sorry," Ron added from where he was standing before ruining it by adding, "I'm sure Hermione will refrain from starting arguments when you're around from now on."

Hermione looked like she was about to boil over from that last comment, Harry's presence and his plea for her and Ron to stop fighting all but forgotten. "_Me_ refrain from starting arguments?!" she asked incredulously, glaring at Ron for his audacity.

Ron was about to retort when Ginny finally decided to speak up, putting in _her_ two cents (or two knuts, rather.) "How about you _both_ refrain from starting arguments _and_ from arguing in general. I must say that I have to agree with Harry on this one," she spoke as calmly as she could manage, hoping that it would help placate the other three.

"Oh, so you're agreeing with _Harry_? Big surprise _there_! You do know that agreeing with him won't make him suddenly fall in love with you," Ron replied mockingly, alluding to the crush Ginny had had on Harry ever since she'd laid eyes on him and which she still got made fun of for though she had stopped liking Harry like that ages ago. When Ginny's eyes welled up with tears at her brother's harsh words and a hurt expression came across her face, Ron realized just what he had done, a regretful look crossing his own features. "Gin...I'm sorry. I didn't mean it," he attempted to reassure her. She just glared at him, before dashing up the stairs and to her room, slamming the door behind her.

"Nice going, Ron," Hermione said sarcastically, exacerbating the situation. Before the two could break out the insults and start flinging them at each other again, Harry let out a frustrated sigh and exited out the front door, hoping a bit of fresh air would help calm him down and that, given time, his two best friends, who were currently acting more like seven-year-olds than their actual seventeen years of age, would be able to cool off and reconcile their differences.

Once outside, he just began walking (or more accurately stalking) off in a random direction. Perhaps taking a nice, long walk would help. And it did, for the most part. He just kept walking and walking; he must have been doing so for at least half an hour by the time he finally began to think about going in. He hoped no one was worried about him; Mrs. Weasley could be rather overprotective at times, though he couldn't blame her for it.

Deciding that he had cooled off enough that he wouldn't chew Hermione and Ron out the next time so much as a single insult left their lips and that it was time for him to head back towards the house, he abruptly turned to where he could make out the lights coming from the Burrow through the branches of the trees he was walking amongst. The small woods located outside of the Weasley household was quite pleasant, though it made finding your way back somewhat more difficult.

It was getting dark by now, the sun had already dipped below the horizon and the stars were becoming quite visible as the moon took up its reign over the sky. Stopping once he'd exited the woods to view the stars for a few moments and attempting to spot some of the many constellations he had learned about in astrology before heading back, Harry didn't notice, until it almost bowled him over, that the Knight Bus was heading his way. And it wasn't just coming towards him, but _directly_ at him. _This is it, _he thought fearfully, though his mind still managed to be sarcastic at the same time, _Forget about Death Eaters and Voldemort...I can just imagine it now, 'Boy-who-lived gets fatally decked by triple-decker." Catchy headline, I'm sure they'll sell lots of that issue. Just my luck._

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Author's Notes: Well, I just got the sudden urge to read a Bill/Harry story, but when I searched for one (that I haven't already read), guess what? I couldn't find one. So, seeing as this unusual pairing is one that I rather enjoy and that I believe is rather underrated, I decided that I'd add my own story to the mix. I don't know how many people out there will actually care about reading a slash story staring Bill and Harry, but if you are one of them, then I hope you enjoyed it. In the next chapter, Bill will be getting introduced and—well, I really wouldn't want to give the whole story away, so I guess you'll just have to read and find out (whenever I get around to posting it.) ;)


	2. Matchmaking Mischief

Summary: For the last Christmas they may ever get the chance to spend all together, the Weasley boys (Fred, George, Percy, Charlie, and Bill) are coming home to spend time with the rest of the clan (including Harry and Hermione.) But, when Bill gets there ahead of schedule and Harry has a fight with his friends, two people will end up spending more time together than anticipated and something more than brotherly love will develop. SLASH. Bill/Harry

Disclaimer: I (as you might have guessed) do not own Harry Potter or anything even remotely affiliated with it.

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CHAPTER TWO: MATCHMAKING MISCHIEF

He knew he should move—really he did—but it was as if he was a deer caught in the headlights, and he became frozen in place, unable to move a muscle let alone jump out of the way of the bus speeding toward him. But, just as he feared the impact was inevitable, the Knight Bus screeched as the brakes were applied, lurching something terrible, with the sound of luggage and passengers flying towards the front and onto the floor clearly audible, and skidded to a stop not two feet in front of one Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived and would apparently keep doing so.

At first, Harry just stood there, blinking dazedly and uncomprehendingly at the triple-decked, purple monstrosity parked before him. Eventually, though, his shock wore off enough for him to realize that he was still here, the bus hadn't run him over, and he was very much alive.

He patted himself on the chest and arms, making sure he really _was_ there, not a ghost or an illusion or something of the sort. He wanted to make sure he wasn't dreaming, so he then pinched himself for good measure. Needless to say, it hurt.

As he was busy making this amazing discovery, the doors to the bus suddenly opened with a clink and a tall, red-head walked off levitating a rather large trunk. He was, of course, a Weasley (the red hair kind of gave him away); Bill Weasley to be precise.

Finally recovering from the shock of almost being run over, Harry proceeded to walk over to greet Bill, giving him quite a scare in the process.

"Hey, Bill," Harry spoke congenially, waving his hand in greeting, though doing so in a somewhat awkward manner. Bill jumped with a start, turning towards his youngest brother's best friend before letting a smile slide across his handsome features.

"Well, hello, Harry. You gave me quite shock there; I didn't expect anyone to be out here waiting for me to arrive. I told mum that I most likely wasn't going to be here for another day or two," Bill replied warmly.

"Oh, well, I wasn't waiting out here for you to arrive, actually. I was out here for a walk and I was just heading inside when the Knight Bus suddenly showed up and almost flattened me," Harry answered seriously, still frightened by the prospect of what could have happened to him.

Suddenly another voice broke into their conversation—that of Stan, the pimple-faced attendant of the Knight Bus. "Here you are, sir, the rest of your luggage," he spoke as he hauled another large trunk out to the grass near where Bill was standing, before noticing Harry. "Well, I'll be! Ern, look! It's Harry Potter, it is. How are you then, 'arry?" he said with pleasant surprise at this unexpected, though not unwelcome, encounter.

"Umm...I'm just fine," Harry replied uncomfortably, giving a strained smile to Stan.

"Well, I'd best be off. Wouldn't want to keep the customers waitin' for their 'ot chocolate, now would I?" Stan declared, turning around and heading back into the bus, which took off in a flash, rumbling down the grassy path as trees and rocks seemingly jumped out of its way.

"So...why did you decide to come home early?" Harry asked, unsure of what else to say and wanting to break the silence that had descended upon them at Stan's departure.

"Oh, the goblins let me off a couple days earlier than I thought they would, so I decided to come as soon as possible and surprise everyone," Bill entailed, smiling brightly, "So...are you surprised?"

Harry smiled back at him, nodding his head in the affirmative. "Yes! I swear the Knight Bus almost gave me a heart attack; I thought I was a goner there for a minute!!" Harry announced, before chuckling sheepishly at his dramatics. Bill let out a slight chuckle as well, smiling down at the at least five inch shorter 17-year-old before him. "Why'd you take the Knight Bus anyway?" he wondered aloud, thinking the choice odd when one could simply apparate.

"Got some valuable stuff in here," he gestured to the trunks he had with him, "that I couldn't risk getting left behind." Harry wondered at that, but refrained from questioning Bill further. "Besides, I happen to quite like the 'ot chocolate they serve," he added, mimicking Stan's pronunciation and smiling good-naturedly. Harry couldn't help but smile as well. "Well, I guess we'd better head inside now. I'm sure if you stay out here much longer, with it getting dark and all, mum will be nearly beside herself with worry," Bill stated before picking both of his trunks up with the flick of a wand and levitating them towards the house as he and Harry followed.

"Yeah, she'll probably send a search party out to look for me before long," Harry replied, fondly thinking of Mrs. Weasley, who had become his surrogate mother of sorts.

They soon made it to the front door, which Bill opened, not bothering to knock first. "I'm home!" he declared, shouting loudly enough for the whole household to hear as he stepped onto the threshold, set his trunks down with a loud clump each, and held the door open so that Harry could pass through before shutting it with a resounding thunk.

Ginny was the first to arrive, pounding down the rickety old stairs as she rushed down to greet her eldest brother. When she finally reached him, she launched herself at him, hugging him fiercely around his neck. She held on for a moment as Bill roughly hugged her back before dropping back down onto the hardwood floor with a delighted smile lighting up her face. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming today!" she scolded him, though her smile never faded.

Next in line for a hug was Mrs. Weasley, who had darted out of the kitchen, where she had been making dessert, in order to greet her oldest son. "Oh, William, I'm so glad you're home, dear!" she cried out happily as she nearly strangled him with the ferocity of her hug.

Hermione and Ron arrived at the same time, though from opposite directions, as they were still mad at each other. Hermione came calmly out from the kitchen, where she had apparently been helping Mrs. Weasley with the dessert, probably learning as much as she could about wizard style cooking. Ron, however, came from upstairs just as Ginny had, most likely having been holed up in his room. They both walked towards Bill, Hermione merely giving a friendly "Hello" to the older wizard as Ron gave his brother a hug as both his sister and mother had done before him.

"Hi, everyone! Long time no see!" Bill responded enthusiastically, beaming excitedly, before looking around him and noticing that something was off. "Where's everyone else?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at his mother.

"You're father is still at the ministry working and the rest of your brothers don't arrive until tomorrow," Mrs. Weasley informed him, beaming happily at her son. "Dessert's almost ready; why don't you all sit down now?" she asked, though she really needn't bother as all of them had rushed to the table at the mention of dessert.

Harry sat down between Ron and Hermione, as he didn't particularly want to have to deal with them arguing the whole time, while Ginny sat across from Ron, and Bill plopped himself down in a chair directly across from Harry himself. Mrs. Weasley came back in a minute later levitating a pan of apple strudel along with some plates and forks. She set it down on a pot holder in the center of the table before returning to the kitchen to retrieve several jars of milk, glasses, and a tub of ice cream with a scoop and spoons.

Setting the rest of the items down carefully upon the table, she took up her own seat across from Hermione and next to her oldest son. The kids (as she still considered Bill one despite his being nearly 26 years old now) looked upon the dessert eagerly, anxious to fill their stomachs with some more of Mrs. Weasley's excellent cuisine. "Well, go ahead and dig in," Mrs. Weasley told them merrily, letting out an amused laugh at her son's expense when Ron promptly grabbed the dish and began to dig a large portion of the apple strudel out of it and plop it onto a plate for himself before reaching for the ice cream.

"It's good to be home," Bill declared happily, piling his own plate full of the tasty dessert. Mrs. Weasley smiled at her son, although she was somewhat displeased at both of her sons' inappropriate table manners.

"Now where are your manners, boys? You know it's rude to serve yourselves before your guests," she scolded mildly, as if used to making such statements. Bill looked somewhat sheepish, though Ron merely shook his head at his mother's words.

"Harry and Hermione aren't guests, mum. They're practically _family_," Ron declared adamantly. Hermione turned to look at him, a small smile gracing her features at Ron's statement. It appeared that with those words Ron had earned himself her forgiveness, of which Harry was thankful. He was really getting tired of their arguing, after all.

Ginny seemed to notice Ron and Hermione's reconciliation as well, giving Harry a pointed look and discreetly nodding her head in Ron and Hermione's directions. But, despite her discretion, Bill seemed to notice, giving first her, then Harry a confused and questioning look before filing the information away to ask about later.

Soon everyone was finished with their dessert, though they sat at the table talking for quite some time afterwards, with Bill regaling them with tales of his many adventures in Egypt. Mrs. Weasley was moving back and forth between the dining room and kitchen, listening with half an ear as she cleared away dishes, put food away, and made some tea for them all to sip on as they talked.

Bill was a good story teller and Harry found himself enraptured by the tales he told; it seemed that the Weasley twins had picked up some of their prank pulling behavior from their oldest brother. Harry had always liked Bill; he had always seemed very..._cool _(there was simply no other word for it), with his shark tooth earring and ponytail and all. But he had never really had much of a chance to talk to him, to get to know him.

Harry soon found himself telling about some of his own adventures, mostly ones he'd had at school, but also some that had to do with Dudley (like the ton-tongue toffee story.) Most of them were told after Mrs. Weasley had already gone to bed, as many of them concerned bending and even breaking some rule or another.

They all stayed up quite late talking and laughing together; however, it was soon time for them to go to bed (mostly noted by the fact that they could hardly keep their eyes open any longer). As they made their way upstairs to their respective bedrooms (of which Hermione was sharing with Ginny, Harry with Ron, and Bill had his old room which he and Charlie would share as they had before he had moved out) Bill accosted Harry to question him about the look Ginny had sent to him earlier.

"So, what's going on between Ron and Hermione? I saw Ginny giving you that look," Bill told Harry, pressuring him to divulge whatever it was that was going on.

"Oh, that. Well, Ron and Hermione have been fighting a _lot_ lately, even worse than usual. They had a _huge_ fight earlier and when Ron made that comment about Hermione and me being practically family they kind of forgave each other—thank goodness. Ginny and I have been getting _really_ tired of their constant bickering," Harry informed him. Bill merely raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"So, are these some sort of lover's spats that they have been having?" Bill asked, for some reason finding his youngest brother's love life (or lack thereof) somewhat amusing.

"Well...I don't know. I mean, I've always thought that they kind of liked each other and all, but I don't see why they don't just tell each other that instead of fighting all the time," Harry replied truthfully with a small sigh.

Bill seemed to contemplate Harry's words for a moment before coming to a decision. "Well, if their arguments are bothering you and Ginny so much, maybe we should just hurry along their little 'mating ritual'," Bill commented, laughing as Harry screwed up his face in disgust at the word 'mating'.

"Eww...Those are my best friends you're talking about," Harry told him mock seriously, before letting out a slight laugh. "But I do think it is a good idea to set them up, especially if it'll give Ginny and me some peace and quiet for once."

"Alright, so it's settled then. Ginny, you and I will play the matchmakers for those two. How about we get together to talk about it tomorrow?" Bill proposed, eager to spend more time with Harry, but not wanting to make the younger boy uncomfortable.

Harry nodded in agreement. "That sounds good," he readily accepted, glad to have an excuse to spend more time with Bill and happy that the older boy actually seemed to want to spend time with him as well. Saying goodnight to each other, they trudged up to their respective bedroom, smiling at one another before heading to bed.

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Author's Notes: There, another chapter up! And this one is even longer than the last (not that all of the chapters will be this long.) The Harry/Bill relationship will be a while in the making; I don't want to just through them together. I want to build them up to it. Thanks for the reviews!

Bloodied Turquoise Knives: I'm glad you like the pairing and chapter 1. I hope chapter 2 was up to par!

Lissie89: I know it's not even close to Christmas, but I always like a Christmas fic too; I'm glad you agree! Thanks for the comment about my characters being in character, that's what I was going for. Glad you like the pairing even though it wasn't what you were looking for; I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well.

flamingfairy666: You loved it? I must say that I'm flattered! I know what you mean about not being able to find any Harry/Bill fics. What's up with that? I think they're really great together! Here's more for you to read. Enjoy!


	3. The Dynamic Duo

Summary: For the last Christmas they may ever get the chance to spend all together, the Weasley boys (Fred, George, Percy, Charlie, and Bill) are coming home to spend time with the rest of the clan (including Harry and Hermione.) But, when Bill gets there ahead of schedule and Harry has a fight with his friends, two people will end up spending more time together than anticipated and something more than brotherly love will develop. SLASH. Bill/Harry

Disclaimer: I (as you might have guessed) do not own Harry Potter or anything even remotely affiliated with it.

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CHAPTER THREE: THE DYNAMIC DUO

They were awoken the next morning at the crack of dawn by a cacophony of noise which, oddly enough, sounded remarkably akin to the simultaneous explosion of a foray of firecrackers. Although they didn't know it at the time, their speculations were very much correct.

Soon doors were flying open as the residents of the house ran into the hall and stairwell, wondering what in the world was going on. Everyone was pretty much in a state of panic as they all questioned each other as to what was happening and, upon receiving no definitive answer to their inquiries, ran downstairs.

There was a great pounding of feet and creaking of steps as they all made a mad dash down the dilapidated, old stairs. The ghoul who had taken up residence in the attic long ago was, by now, shrieking up a storm.

They were all eager to know what was taking place and so crowded about the front door, yet when they thought more clearly on it, perhaps all of them traipsing out into possible danger was not the best of ideas. After all, they had no way of knowing who or what could be out there, though the fact that the wards preventing Voldemort and his minions from coming within a little over two kilometers of the house were still intact was promising and provided them with at least a little peace of mind.

A silent agreement was then made between the seven of them (though Harry seemed somewhat frustrated by the decision) that Arthur (who had returned quite early that very morning from the Ministry) and Bill would go out first so as to investigate the cause of the disturbance. As they shut the door behind them, Mrs. Weasley suddenly spoke up to the remaining four.

"Heaven knows what could possibly warrant this such a ruckus at this hour. Why, there hasn't been this much commotion since Fred and George left—" here she cut out as realization suddenly dawned on her. "Wait a minute!" she cried, and before Ginny, Harry, Hermione, or Ron could so much as blink, she had thrown open the front door as wide as she possibly could and stormed out onto the top stair leading up to the house. "Fredrick Aralias and Georgiou Merrium Weasley, you two come here this instant!" she shouted in here trademark I'm-in-no-mood-to-be-messed-with tone that all of her children knew well.

The two troublemakers hastened to comply with her request, recognizing their mother's tone of voice just as surely as they did the Burrow. Knowing that they were in for it, but not ready to admit defeat just yet, they plastered the most innocent looks they could muster onto their, very guilty, faces. Needless to say, Mrs. Weasley was not at all fooled.

"Now just what have you two done _this_ time?" she questioned, continuing before either of the twins could interrupt. "And you'd better be honest with me now or you won't be getting any dessert the whole time you're here," she threatened, knowing that the 'no dessert' punishment usually did the trick.

The twins looked scandalized, unable to believe their ears. "But, _mum_—" Fred began.

"—it's Christmas—" George continued.

"—you wouldn't—" Fred added.

"—you couldn't—" George begged.

"We'll be good, we promise," they both finished pleadingly. Mrs. Weasley looked between the two searchingly, before shaking her head at her sons' typical antics and letting out a long suffering sigh.

"I might go easy on you, with it being the holidays and all, as long as you tell me what you did and make sure to stay out of trouble for the rest of your stay. And I mean it!" Mrs. Weasley informed them, making sure to get her point across. She would be lenient, this time, but if the twins thought that they were going to get off scot-free, then they had another thing coming.

"Well, you see..." George started off this time, before sharing a nervous look with his twin, who continued on for him.

"You know our shop, right?" Fred added cautiously, discontinuing as his mother gave him a glare at the mention of the joke shop. He decided to let his brother take it from there.

"We have this product—" George said.

"—Weasley's Fantastic Flaming Fireworks we call them—" Fred supplied.

"—or just Triple F for short—" George added excitedly.

"—but that's beside the point." Fred intervened, noticing that his mother seemed to be getting angrier the more they talked.

"The point is—" George began again, before pausing to let his brother continue.

"—we were just running some...er..." Fred was saying before coming to a bit of a 'sticky spot' in the wording.

"—experiments?" George tried to help him out.

"Yes! That's the word, experiments," Fred finished, looking very pleased with himself and giving his twin a we-got-away-with-it-this-time grin.

Mrs. Weasley waited a moment before interrupting their internal victory dance. "Now what have I told you boys about blowing things up in my house?! I have had _enough_ of you boys and your joke shop and all of your 'experiments' lying all over the house and turning Ron fuchsia and making Ginny's hair turn into straw," Mrs. Weasley ranted, her chest puffed out and her cheeks tinged pink.

"But we didn't blow anything up _inside_ the house—" Fred protested weakly.

"—the fireworks were outside the whole time—" George continued, supporting his twin's statement.

"—and Ron didn't turn fuchsia, per say," Fred said, thinking aloud.

"Yeah, it was more of a dark pinkish-blue," George clarified, pausing to think back on the 'incident' that had happened a little under a year ago.

Molly shook her head gently and let out a long suffering sigh as she couldn't help but be amused by her sons' typical behavior. Now that Mrs. Weasley's anger was sufficiently abated, Hermione chose to voice what had been on her mind for the past minute or so, ever since Mrs. Weasley had called for the twins. "Your middle name is Merrium?" she questioned George, though it came out more like a statement seeing as how his mum had already declared it to be true.

George's ears grew pink as his twin hastily affirmed Hermione's observation with the fervent nodding of his head, grinning from ear to ear all the while. Ron let out a snort of laughter, before finally breaking down into a full blown laughing fit. Bill let out a loud chuckle, shaking his head at Hermione for bringing up the one subject that had been an endless torment to George when they were all growing up. Ginny too was laughing, though she seemed to be doing it more at George's reaction than his middle name and was doing so in good humor. Harry even couldn't help but find it funny, though he tried to make his amusement a bit more discrete as he covered his mouth with his hand.

Finally, George couldn't take it any more, and with a burst of uncharacteristic anger that was aimed at them all, he directed a carefully veiled threat to Hermione in the form of a question. "Think it's funny, do you?" The 'You'd better not' was implied.

Hermione seemed somewhat taken aback, though she recovered fairly quickly and hastily began to reassure George of the fact that she didn't think his name funny, she hadn't laughed after all. "No, I don't think it's funny. In fact, I think it's a very pretty name." She said it with such sincerity and with such a straight face that the others didn't doubt that it was true.

At that, Fred, Ron, Bill, Ginny, and Harry only laughed harder and George's ears turned from pink to a red brighter than his hair. Harry was now laughing just as hard as the rest of them, unable to contain his mirth any longer at the scandalized and somewhat homicidal look that had crossed George's face at Hermione's inflammatory, although admittedly innocent, comment. By now, Ron and Ginny were clutching onto each other for support (as they were so shaken by laughter that they would not have been able to remain standing otherwise) as were Bill and Harry.

Just as George looked about ready to explode, like the fireworks he and his brother had set off earlier, Mr. Weasley wisely cut in. "Well, I suppose we'd better all head inside now. I dare say that we make quite a spectacle standing out here in our night clothes yelling and then laughing up a storm. It's a good thing we don't have any nearby neighbors," he commented jokingly.

It was then that everyone (beside Fred and George, who had only just arrived) realized that Mr. Weasley was quite right; they were all standing outside in their pajamas. And now that they thought about it, it was quite cold out. With that thought in mind, they all headed inside, to the magically induced warmth of the Burrow.

"I'm going into the kitchen to start breakfast, seeing as how we're all up already," Mrs. Weasley supplied. "And, since _you two_," here she shot a chastising look in the twins' direction, "are the _reason_ for us being up, you have kitchen duty."

Mrs. Weasley dragged Fred and George into the kitchen with her, as they looked behind them and at the rest of the group, sending them a silent plea for help. Their piteous looks were ignored by them all, who figured that they deserved some punishment for waking them up at this ungodly hour.

Just then, a tawny colored barn owl flew up to the window carrying a rolled up bundle of papers tied with a bit of string and pecked insistently at the pane, wishing to deliver its package as quickly as possible. Mr. Weasley greeted the owl, removed its burden, and paid it five knuts. As it hastily flew back out the way it had come, Mr. Weasley sat down at the dining room table to read what looked suspiciously like The Daily Prophet.

Ginny, Bill, Harry, Ron, and Hermione opted for the comfort of the living room. Ginny automatically claimed 'her' armchair, as Ron and Hermione sat side by side on one of the large couches (all previous grievances seemingly forgotten), leaving Harry and Bill to sit together on the other one. Bill sent a knowing look to his co-conspirator, nodding his head in Ron and Hermione's direction in observance of their automatically sitting together. What was the saying again, 'Actions speak louder than words'?

Nobody said anything for a while, mostly because they were too tired to think, let alone speak, though many a yawn was heard. It was Ginny who spoke up first, commenting idly about how Fred and George had always felt the need to 'make an entrance' and that she was not at all surprised by their theatrics, though she was rather perturbed by the fact that they had woken her up in the process. The rest of the group nodded in agreement, slouching down in their respective seats wearily.

"And here I thought that I would get to sleep in now that I'm at home and on vacation," Bill complained, "So much for _that_ idea."

Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "I don't think Fred and George will be waking us up this early _every_ morning," she said logically.

"Yeah, that would mean that they would have to get up early each morning too," Harry added sleepily, "I think that they'll probably want to sleep in just as late as the rest of us," he finished with a yawn, not bothering to cover his mouth as he instead used his hand to hold up his head, his elbow leaning precariously on top of the armrest of the sofa.

Ron looked as if he was contemplating what Harry had just said, trying to decide whether or not it was true. "Well, Fred and George _do_ like to sleep in late, especially considering how late they usually stay up at night," he started, before seeming to change his mind, "But they'll also do just about anything to get in a good prank...It's hard to say," he concluded indecisively before rubbing a hand in soothing circular motions across his forehead. "It's too early to think," he explained, not bothering to wait for someone to ask.

They sat around idly continuing to chat about nothing in particular, all of them half asleep, for a little while longer, when Fred suddenly stuck his head out the kitchen door. "Breakfast's ready!" he declared with far too much energy considering what time it was. Then a mischievous twinkle lit his eye as he added, "We made something_ special_ for all of you, a real treat." And with that, he popped his head back into the kitchen, letting the door swing shut behind him and leaving the five occupying the couches wondering what new form of torture they were in for now.

But they were soon assured that the food was perfectly edible and, most importantly, that Fred and George weren't trying to use them as guinea pigs as they heard Mrs. Weasley yelling, once again, at the twins from the kitchen. "Now don't you go making them think there's something wrong with this food! It's perfectly fine and I won't have them not eating any of it just because you were out there giving them a scare! And if you _did _put anything in it, then you'd better start praying, because I've had it about up to my ears with your behavior today!"

Fred and George came out seconds later, smiling sheepishly at the rest of the group as they levitated a tray each, filled with eggs and sausage respectively. Mrs. Weasley came out soon afterwards, levitating a large platter loaded with pancakes and a pitcher filled with what appeared to be pumpkin juice. Setting their loads down upon the table, making sure to avoid placing them atop Mr. Weasley's newspaper, they each went back into the kitchen for more, returning with plates, forks, knives, glasses, napkins, maple syrup, and butter.

The smell of food seemed to revive even the most exhausted of the bunch, as they all rushed to the table, playing an awkward musical chairs as they scrambled for the seat nearest to the pancakes. They finally got settled and were ready to eat when a loud banging on the door interrupted their meal.

Setting his newspaper down on top of his napkin and next to his plate, Mr. Weasley rose from the table, his chair scraping across the floor in protest as he vacated it, and went to answer the door. The entry was hidden from view to those still sitting around the table, but at the sound of a deep voice yelling out in greeting, "Dad!" they all had a pretty good idea of who it was. Charlie had apparently just arrived.

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Author's Notes: Well, there you go, another chapter. I'm actually quite proud of myself for updating so quickly and all. And, in case you haven't noticed, this chapter was even longer than the last, just as chapter two was longer than chapter one (and that's _not_ counting the author's notes by the way.) Not all that much happened in this chapter, though the twins did arrive (and Charlie at the very last second.) More should happen in the next chapter, though. School started three days ago, so I don't know if I'll be able to update as often as I'd like. When I'm able to post the next chapter (or more accurately, write it) will depend upon how much I've go going on and homework and all. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Oh! I nearly forgot; if you see any mistakes or anything please just let me know and I'll try to fix them. I was too lazy and tired to go through and read the whole chapter through after I'd gotten it complete and I don't have a beta reader, so this chapter is probably riddled with mistakes. Sorry about that! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, the answers to your questions, etc., are listed below.

Gershwhen: Glad you like it so far! Thanks for pointing out the mistake. I haven't had a chance to go back and fix it yet, but I'll make sure that I do eventually. I hope this chapter was satisfactory.

flamingfairy666: Yep, I am taking the Bill/Harry thing slow, but that doesn't mean that the Weasleys (or at least most of them) won't be shocked regardless. And the whole feeling special thing works both ways; I love getting reviews!

LeahEvans: Thanks for the review! I'm taking the Bill and Harry thing slowly because I don't think it would be very realistic or as interesting if they just had a sudden burst of hormones and as you said poof make out session. I do like reading smut sometimes, but I don't think that I could ever write it. About Harry being gay...I think in my story he's going to realize that he's bi or something, but the whole crush on Cho Chang thing will still fit. I agree with you about her; I don't like her very much at all. I should hope you like this more than a Wood/Percy, of course, I'm sort of biased, since I don't like that pairing very much for whatever reason (I think it's because I don't really like Percy very much.) In the part where you said "Harry is best friends with Ron, what's to say he isn't attracted either" I wasn't really sure what you meant. Did you mean that Harry could be attracted to Ron or that Ron could be attracted to Harry? I guess I'll just answer both. Ron is Harry's best friend and Harry thinks of him practically like a brother, so Harry won't be having any non-platonic feelings for him in this fic. And about Ron, he has a crush on Hermione, he's straight, so he wouldn't have any feelings for Harry. I hope that answered your question. I'm glad you like this fic despite the fact that you don't usually like slash. Of course, nothing slashy has actually happened yet...Anyway, I'm glad that I inspired you to continue your fic; I'll have to go check out the new chapter whenever you get it posted (which it might already be; I haven't been able to use the internet for a while.) And thanks for reading and reviewing my fic, too!

PaddycakePadfoot: I'm glad you like it so far! And there really aren't enough Harry/Bill fics out there, are there? I hope you like this chapter just as much as you seemed to like the last.

Didge: The Bill/Harry pairing is really underrepresented, isn't it? I love this pairing too, so when I couldn't find a fic with it that I hadn't already read, I decided to write my own!


	4. Apparation and Arachnids

Summary: For the last Christmas they may ever get the chance to spend all together, the Weasley boys (Fred, George, Percy, Charlie, and Bill) are coming home to spend time with the rest of the clan (including Harry and Hermione.) But, when Bill gets there ahead of schedule and Harry has a fight with his friends, two people will end up spending more time together than anticipated and something more than brotherly love will develop. SLASH. Bill/Harry

Disclaimer: I (as you might have guessed) do not own Harry Potter or anything even remotely affiliated with it.

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CHAPTER FOUR: APPARATION AND ARACHNIDS

Hugs and greetings were given to Charlie by everyone present as they all rushed up from the table to say hello to the brother, son, or friend that they hadn't seen in quite some time. Charlie looked about the same as he always did; a multitude of freckles making him look almost tanned, vibrant, Weasley red hair, and a large grin plastered upon his face. It was obvious that he was happy to be home.

He hugged all members of his family, giving a one-armed hug to each of his brothers and laughing in slight embarrassment as his mother kissed his cheek after nearly squeezing him to death. He then greeted his 'adopted brother' with a sound pat on the back, that sent Harry's glasses sliding to the end of his nose with its force, and a "How're you doing, Harry?" Moving on to Hermione, who he didn't know quite as well, he nodded politely to her and greeted her with a friendly hello.

Now that he had been properly welcomed back home, an extra plate was set at the table as they all, once again, sat down to eat the breakfast which Mrs. Weasley and the twins had prepared. Charlie, as the rest of them had only minutes before, looked at the food skeptically and raised his brow in a 'Do you _really _think I'm foolish enough to eat any food that those pranksters have messed with?' manner. Mrs. Weasley assured Charlie, as the rest laughed at his display, that the food was just fine—or at least she hoped so—and that the twins would have hell to pay if they had done anything to 'improve' it. The twins did their best to give off an aura of innocence, though failed miserably at doing so.

It turned out that the food was just fine; apparently the twins had thought it wise to wait a while before pulling their next prank, a decision that was appreciated by everyone present. Soon they were all full, though they sat around catching up for quite some time (except for Mr. Weasley who had to go to work as soon as he had finished his breakfast). They talked about many things, from the incident that had taken place that morning—which Charlie found quite humorous, though the subject sent Mrs. Weasley into a very long and angry lecture—to whatever had happened to Norbert, who Charlie assured them was just fine.

It was already nearing eight o'clock, the time that most of the residents of the household would have woken up, when everybody decided that they should probably get up and ready for the day. Of course, Fred, George, and Charlie had already showered and dressed before arriving, so there were only six left to fight over who would get to use one of the only two bathrooms in the house first.

Mrs. Weasley, naturally, would get to use the bathroom connected to the master bedroom first and it was decided that since it was polite to let guests and ladies go first, that Hermione would have the honor of showering first in the other bathroom. Ginny would go after Mrs. Weasley, Harry after Hermione, then Ron and Bill would fight it out to see who would be forced to go last, using whichever bathroom was vacated first.

They were all ready before long, it collectively only taking them a little over an hour, and were once again assembled downstairs (minus Mrs. Weasley, who had errands to attend to). Unsure of what they wanted to do for the day, they sat down in the family room in order to discuss the matter.

It turned out that they all had a bit of Christmas shopping left to do, though the 25th was little more than a week away, so they planned on making a visit to Diagon Alley, an idea which they were all quite keen on. Ron rushed from the room to inform his mother of the plan, hoping that he could convince her that Charlie and Bill were chaperons enough and therefore there was no need for her to accompany them; they _were_ 17 years old after all and even Ginny was 16 by now. He rushed back into the room only a minute or two later.

"She said it was fine," he informed them all, "Although she did seem a little bit worried," he added, letting a sly grin crawl onto his face, "...about the twins that is. She said she's not quite sure she can trust them to behave themselves without an adult with them," he finished, letting out a hearty laugh as the twins rolled their eyes.

"But, we _are_ adults," Fred declared earnestly, somewhat irritated at his mother for talking about him and his brother as if they were still in need of a babysitter.

"Yeah! And Bill and Charlie are adults, too," George added in addition to his brother's statement. Charlie shrugged his shoulders as if to let them know that _he_ could do nothing about the matter and to just let it go.

Bill smiled slightly while shaking his head at his brothers before adding, "You know mum, she'll always think of us as her 'babies' no matter how old we are." Ron nodded his head in agreement to that, looking annoyed at being reminded of the fact. Harry let out a slight chuckle. Ron glared at him.

"Well, we'd better get going if we want to get to the Alley before it starts getting crowded as it usually does during this time of the year," Hermione cut in, eager to go. And she was right, after all, as she usually was, the earlier they got there, the better.

Everyone bustled about, making sure that they had their money with them and grabbing cloaks and scarves, mittens and hats, before they were finally ready to go. They all had their apparation licenses (except for Ginny who would just meet them there after flooing in to the Leaky Caldron), so they decided that they might as well just apparate; they didn't mind having to walk out a couple of kilometers to the apparation point, for apparating was a much more preferable mode of traveling than by floo.

The air was brisk and cool, though refreshingly so, as they made their way down the worn dirt path leading away from the Burrow and out into the countryside. They were a lively bunch as they went merrily along their way, happy for their time off from school or work and excited about the upcoming holidays that they would be spending together, chatting away about what they should do for the next couple of weeks.

Hermione suggested ice skating, the twins put their votes in for having a party at the Burrow while Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were out some day or using their flat above Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, while Ron suggested playing lots of rousing games of quidditch. The rest agreed that ice skating and quidditch sounded like rather good ideas and that the party sounded like fun.

They soon reached the apparation point just beyond a small, wooded area and, all at once, apparated to Diagon Alley with a residual pop. When they opened their eyes again, feeling somewhat disoriented, they found themselves in a large, open aired room known as the Apparation Centre. There was a large arch leading from the courtyard area into Diagon Alley itself; it looked much like the brick arch outside of the Leaky Caldron, only this one remained constantly open, seeing as there was no chance of muggles finding themselves here by mistake.

They hurriedly exited the Centre as many more wizards and witches apparated in, denoted by the many pops that echoed about the room. Coming out through the archway and finding themselves in front of Gringott's wizarding bank, they spotted Ginny standing there waiting for them, and, meeting up with her, all decided to step inside and grab a few extra galleons before heading to the stores.

Charlie, Bill, Harry, and the twins each had their own vaults, while Ginny and Ron had a key to the Weasley family vault. Two goblins were quickly called over to assist them, leading them off in two groups: Harry along with Charlie and Bill in one, while the twins, Ginny, and Ron ended up in the other. Hermione remained in the lobby with one of the tellers, exchanging some pounds for galleons and sickles.

"So, what shopping do you have left to do?" Bill asked both Harry and Charlie as they were led off by Swiftfoot the goblin towards the carts that would take them down to their respective vaults.

Harry pondered the question out loud as the three of them climbed into a cart along with Swiftfoot and began to barrel along the track leading down into the depths of Gringott's bank. "Umm...let's see, I have Hermione, Neville...your parents, and the twins left. At least, I think that's it," Harry informed them, though he failed to mention that he still needed to buy a present for Charlie, feeling somewhat awkward about stating that fact aloud to Charlie himself.

Charlie nodded to show that he had been listening before reciting his own list of people that he still had to buy presents for. "I have Ron, Ginny, Percy, mum and dad, my friend Aurora—" here he was cut off as Bill asked if it was his _girlfriend_ Aurora. Charlie promptly smacked his brother upside the head, vehemently denying the accusation before continuing, "and...well, I still haven't gotten Bill here a present," he admitted, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly as if it didn't matter to him if he got Bill a present or not, before smiling good naturedly to show that he was merely joking.

Bill pretended to be scandalized, though as Harry and Charlie soon found out, he hadn't bought a gift for Charlie yet, either. "Yeah, I have the twins left, Artemisia, Hermione, Seifer, and Charles here," Bill supplied, knowing perfectly well that Charlie hated being called by his real name, Charles, and purposefully using it because of that. 'Charles' glared at his brother, though there was no heat behind it, as Harry laughed lightly.

He had never really gotten to know the two eldest Weasley sons that well, although he liked them both a lot, especially Bill. They were both really nice and, although he felt somewhat silly about admitting it (even to himself), he thought they were really cool, too. Charlie's being a dragon tamer and living in Romania and all was awesome, while Bill's chosen profession of a curse breaker along with his ponytail and fang tooth earring made him very interesting and unique, not to mention someone that Harry admired.

He remembered vividly his first impression of the two, back in the summer before his fourth year at Hogwarts. He remembered the ease with which Charlie had greeted him, giving him a friendly handshake, the calluses and blisters under his fingers obtained through his career of working with dragons signifying him to Harry as Ron's second eldest brother. Then there had been Bill. He'd come as quite a shock seeing as how Harry had always expected him to be rather similar to Percy. Yet he was remarkably different from any of his other brothers; the only word he had been able to think of to describe him at the time had been _cool_. He'd been wearing clothes as if he was headed off to a rock concert and had an easy, laid back manner about him that had made Harry immediately comfortable in his presence.

Harry's thoughts were interrupted as the cart came to a sudden halt in front of vault 1139. Charlie hopped out, quickly extracting his key, and opened the door to his vault. He took out enough coins to fill the small coin pouch that he'd brought with him, dropping it in the pocket on the inside of his cloak as he exited the chamber, closing the heavy, wooden door behind him, and stepping back into the cart.

They were soon whisked away, once again, as the cart took them next to Bill's vault. Harry and Charlie waited patiently for a minute as Bill collected some money, as Swiftfoot stood stiffly beside the open door. He was done fairly quickly and then they were off to Harry's vault, barreling down the track speedily in their little cart. Harry felt that one of these days he would be flung right over the edge of one of the carts as it took a corner at breakneck speed, making him feel a bit queasy, though he suspected that they were magically enhanced to avoid such dreadful accidents.

He was quite glad when they slowed down and came to a stop in front of his vault, afraid that he might be sick if the ride continued for very much longer. He hurriedly stepped out of the cart, inserted his key into the old, silver keyhole, and turned the knob to open the door to his vault. Grabbing a handful of golden galleons, he stuffed the pouch he'd brought with him until it was quite full before heading back to the cart, not looking forward to the ride back to the lobby, though eager, none the less, to get out of the twisted maze that wound under the bank.

As they made their way back up to the top and stepped out of the cart, Harry quickly spotted Hermione sitting on a plush, tan colored chair off to the side, reading a small book that she had, as it seemed, tucked inside of her robe before leaving. Apparently she was done with all of her transactions and merely passing the time until the others returned and they could be off. Harry made his way towards her, sitting down on a small couch that, along with the chair Hermione was occupying and one other just like it that was empty at the moment, formed a little sitting area.

Hermione muttered a distracted hello, too engrossed in her book to say anything more stimulating, as Bill and Charlie also sat down, Charlie stealing the other chair as Bill sat down on the couch beside Harry. After Hermione had finished the page she was on, she closed the book, making sure to mark her place (although the book would automatically open to the spot where she had left off when she resumed her reading), and glanced up at the three that had just joined her.

"Good book?" Harry asked somewhat teasingly, smiling at his friend.

Hermione either didn't notice the teasing tone or, more likely, chose to ignore it as she responded, "Yes, actually, it is," not bothering to supply any more details about what she was reading. Harry merely nodded, used to Hermione's bookworm ways.

It was then that the other group came back; Fred and George were laughing uproariously and drawing quite a few stares, Ginny seemed frustrated at something, and Ron looked as if he had just been scared half to death, his face as pale as a ghost's.

Harry shared a quizzical look with Hermione as he, Hermione, Bill, and Charlie wondered what on earth could have happened. Ron looked quite shaken as he approached them and Harry hurriedly scooted over, closer to Bill, so as to give Ron a place to sit down. "Umm...Ron? What happened, mate?" Harry asked softly, a concerned look crossing his face as he looked at his ashen faced friend.

"S-s-spiders," Ron stuttered, his voice trembling with fear as a shudder ran up his spine. "Spiders in my h-hair..." he added, his hand moving up to his fiery red locks of its own accord as he recalled what had transpired only a minute or so ago.

Ginny glared at the twins as Ron vaguely explained what had happened, though Harry was pretty sure by now that he could guess what had taken place: The twins had put spiders in Ron's hair. That's what Ginny was mad at them for and why Ron appeared so shaken.

Harry let out an exasperated sigh. Why did the twins have to go and do that? They know how much Ron hates spiders. And why does Ron have to be so fearful of spiders in the first place? "It's okay, Ron, it's not as if they hurt you or anything," Harry attempted to reassure his friend, patting him gently on the back.

"I-I felt them. They were all o-over me," Ron continued to mumble, still stricken by the experience. Harry gave up on attempting to comfort his friend as he got up and let Hermione claim his spot; Bill stood up as well.

"Perhaps we should split up," Ginny suddenly suggested, sending Harry and Bill a 'look' as if saying _Just go along with it and I'll explain later_. They got the message.

"That's a great idea, Gin," Harry quickly piped up, receiving a glare from Ginny for using her much despised nickname (she thought is sounded too much like the liquor.)

"Yeah," Bill agreed, quickly catching on to what Ginny was planning, "Ron and Hermione can stay here for a while, Fred and George and Charlie can go off and buy presents, and Harry, Ginny, and I will go off together. That way we can buy presents for each other without having the recipient find out what it is. Then we can all meet at the Leaky Caldron at about one o'clock for lunch," he suggested, sending a wink to his sister as she smiled in satisfaction at his quick thinking.

Everyone else seemed to find the idea to be a good one, too. So they all split up, leaving Hermione and Ron sitting on the sofa as the other two groups headed out the large, double doors that led to the bustling, shop-filled alley.

TO BE CONTINUED...

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Author's Notes: Well, another chapter is complete. They just keep getting longer and longer. I think this one is over 2, 700 words! First off, I would like to thank my wonderful beta reader, Lissie89, to whom this chapter is dedicated. Thank you, too, to any and all who reviewed! I am greatly encouraged by the number of reviews I have gotten so far—and no flames yet! Woo-hoo!

My descriptions of Charlie and Bill were drawn very much from the books themselves and I would like to include these excerpts of how Rowlings describes the two from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Chapter Five:

"Charlie was built like the twins, shorter and stockier than Percy and Ron, who were both long and lanky. He had a broad, good-natured face, which was weather-beaten and so freckly that he looked almost tanned; his arms were muscular, and one of them had a large, shiny burn on it."

"Bill came as something of a surprise. Harry knew that he worded for the wizarding bank, Gringotts, and that Bill had been Head Boy at Hogwarts; Harry had always imagined Bill to be an older version of Percy: fussy about rule-breaking and fond of bossing everyone around. However, Bill was—there was no other word for it—_cool_. He was tall, with long hair that he had tied back in a ponytail. He was wearing an earring with what looked like a fang dangling from it. Bill's clothes would not have looked out of place at a rock concert, except that Harry recognized his boots to be made, not of leather, but of dragon hide."

And now, to answer your reviews...

PaddycakePadfoot: Wow! I think that has got to be the most interesting and enthusiastic review I have ever recieved! I'm guessing you had a lot of suger before you wrote it. LOL. Anyways, I'm glad to know that you love this fic! And I updated, so you don't have to "go kung fu" on me. I'm honored that you put me on your favorites; I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as you seemed to enjoy the last. ;)

Repmet: Thanks for the review! Here's a list of other Bill/Harry fics I've read. Enjoy!  
On Fanfiction. net:  
-The Sought by Jaylee1 (One of the best Harry/Bill fics I have ever read. This fic is very cute, too.)  
-That Summer by Reija Linn (A rather sad and depressing story, but well written and a good read.)  
-A Day in Greece by Lyssaphra (A rather short story, but still good.)  
-A Rose by Any Other Name by Dailynn (A Harry-gets-sent-to-Azkaban story. I must say that I am addicted to them. I haven't read very far, but what I _have _read is very good.)  
-I'm sure that there are more, but I wasn't able to find them. I'll search for them some more and, hopefully, be able to add more to the list when I put up the next chapter.

Skinnyrita: I'm glad you like my story and the pairing. (Bill and Harry are just so cute together!) I haven't had much of a chance to read lately (most of my free time is consumed with writing my own fanfics), but when I get the chance I'll try to stop by and check out your stories. ;)

LeahEvans: I saw that your new chapter is up and I was in the middle of reading it, when my computer went ballistic and I had to shut it down. I haven't had a chance to go back and read the rest of it yet, let alone drop a review, but just to let you know, all that I _did_ get the chance to read was very good. And I _finally_ get what you mean! I'm sorry that it took me so long. LOL. So, just to make sure that I've got this right, what your saying is that now, looking back on the actual books, you wonder if the way he reacted in certain situations could mean more than you read into at the time. (At least I hope that's what you meant, otherwise I'm afraid that I'm just getting terribly confused!) Anyways, interesting comment. I always think it's fun to read fics where they take situations from the book and extrapolate on what the characters might have been thinking and fill it in a bit more and turn it into slash. Anyways, I'd be happy to let you take a leaf out of my book, so to speak. Of course, I haven't really gotten to any slashy scenes yet, or even Harry's realization, or whatever, that he's gay, so pretty much I'm just writing the characters how I saw them in the book so far. Thanks for the praise, though!

Lissie89: Thanks for betaing (I really have no idea whether or not I am spelling this right) this chapter so quickly! As you can see, I changed the part about Ginny apparating, since she is only 16 and, as you pointed out to me, she wouldn't have her license yet. (By the way, I didn't know that you don't get a driver's license until 17 in the UK; it's 16 here in the US.) And about them having to walk a while before they get to the apparation point, I mentioned in the last chapter I believe that there were wards surrounding the house as a safety precaution; one of those wards is an anti-apparation ward. (That's why Bill had to ride the Knight Bus part of the way instead of just apparating straight to the house.) Glad you liked the whole Apparation Centre idea. JKR has never mentioned anything like it in the books, but I figured they must have some spot to apparate to since so many wizards (and witches) use that as a mode of travel. Thanks for fixing a lot of my silly, little mistakes and helping me out with the info from the cannon! I'm glad that you enjoyed the chapter; I'm already working on the next one, so it should be done in not _too_ long!


	5. Diagon, a Dragon, and Discoveries

Summery: For the last Christmas they may ever get the chance to spend all together, the Weasley boys (Fred, George, Percy, Charlie, and Bill) are coming home to spend time with the rest of the clan (including Harry and Hermione.) But, when Bill gets there ahead of schedule and Harry has a fight with his friends, two people will end up spending more time together than anticipated and something more than brotherly love will develop. SLASH. Bill/Harry

Disclaimer: I (as you might have guessed) do not own Harry Potter or anything even remotely affiliated with it.

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CHAPTER FIVE: DIAGON, A DRAGON, AND DISCOVERIES 

Harry, Bill, and Ginny watched as Fred, George, and Charlie headed off towards Quality Quidditch Supplies (a not all too surprising fact) before making their own way down Diagon Alley, in the direction of Flourish and Blots. It was as good a place to start as any and since Harry still had to get a present for Hermione, they would most likely need to make a stop at the bookstore eventually anyway.

As they entered the practically ancient shop (it had been in Diagon Alley nearly as long as Olivander's had) a pleasant chiming rang throughout the store as a bell signaled their entrance. It was a familiar note to all three of them, as they had been there many times before.

They split up then, each heading in a different direction as they made their way towards different genres of books. Ginny went for the mysteries, while Bill opted for the defense against the dark arts section, perhaps intending to see if any new books on counter-curses had been printed since last he checked, which would come in handy at work. Harry, trying to think of something that Hermione might like, strolled to the back of the store where the history section was kept.

Although he wasn't too keen on history, especially when Binns was the one teaching it, he knew exactly where the books were kept, for Hermione had dragged him there more than a few times. There was a cozy, little set up, a nook for all the ancient tomes, with three large bookshelves forming the walls and two narrow shelves lining an entrance to the enclosure, where two armchairs and a small end table made for an intimate setting.

As he approached the little nook in the back of the store, he was shocked to find that his blonde haired rival, none other than Draco Malfoy, was sitting haphazardly upon one of the armchairs, sifting through the contents of an old and dusty manuscript, searching frantically for something contained within its pages. Harry would have hightailed it out of there, and thus avoided what would inevitably be another unpleasant encounter between the two, if it hadn't been for the fact that his approaching footsteps had already alerted Malfoy to his presence.

"Potter," the Slytherin spoke, standing up abruptly, seeming more surprised than anything, his usually scornful tone noticeably absent. He seemed a bit furtive, almost as if he had been caught doing something he should not have been, and quickly shoved the book he'd been glancing through behind a particularly large fold of his dark grey, designer robe, thereby hiding it from view.

"What are you doing here?" he spoke in an almost accusatory tone, as if Harry had no right to be there, continuously casting surreptitious glances towards the doorway formed by bookshelves that Harry had just entered through. It seemed as if he was worried that someone in the bookstore might see them there together.

"I'm looking for a book," Harry replied rather calmly, his voice remarkably cool, though his curiosity was beginning to get the better of him, "Isn't that what most people come to the bookstore for?" he added sarcastically, although he had to admit that Malfoy's mannerisms during this particular exchange were intriguing him instead of irritating him as per usual.

Malfoy turned to look at him then, his gaze resting on him fully now instead of flitting back and forth between Harry and what lay behind him, a regal, blonde eyebrow raised in what could have been an impressed fashion, though Harry wouldn't have bet on it.

"Making an attempt at witty banter, Potter? I would have thought such a dignified form of argumentation would be far too much for your simplistic, Gryffindor intellectual capacity to handle," Malfoy retorted, though it didn't contain the same acidity that it usually did. It seemed almost as if he was going through the motions of their usual fights, bidding his time until he could sneak away at the first opportune moment. His eyes once again shifted restlessly past Harry, the way that he would have to exit, if and when he so chose to do so.

"And _I_ thought that Slytherins were better at sneaking around," Harry replied, giving Malfoy a scrutinizing look, before tilting his head and leaning to the right a bit to try and see what exactly Malfoy had been reading before he had interrupted him; he felt fairly certain that it had something do with his odd behavior.

"Yes, well, we can't _all_ have invisibility cloaks," Malfoy remarked, obviously still miffed over the mud flinging incident that had occurred during their third year. Harry had the feeling that the fact that he hadn't gotten punished for the occurrence was the main reason that it had really incensed his rival.

Before they could get into a serious altercation, Malfoy suddenly cut their conversation short. "I have more important things to do than stand around exchanging insults with _you_, Potter," the blonde haired Slytherin spoke with disdain, making as if to brush past Harry and be on his way.

For some reason, Harry wasn't ready to let him walk away just yet. "Oh, really? And here I thought torturing me was the highlight of your day," Harry retorted with derision, seeing if Malfoy would take the bait and retort with his usual acidity.

"Don't flatter yourself," Malfoy quipped bitterly, sidestepping Harry on his way to the exit. In the entryway he paused, hesitating a moment before tilting his head back slightly in Harry's direction, his hair falling across his eyes as he addressed the Gryffindor. "Perhaps I'm not as shallow as you presume, Potter." And with that, he was gone.

Harry stood there for a moment, unmoving, pondering the strange encounter he had just had with Malfoy. What had he meant by his last comment? The statement puzzled Harry. It wasn't so much what was said as Malfoy's reason for saying it to him of all people in the first place. But he would have to dwell on that later.

Pushing all thoughts of Malfoy to the back of his mind for the time being, Harry set himself to the task he had come here for in the first place: he needed to pick out a book for Hermione.

It sounded simple enough, but considering the fact that Hermione had already read over half of the books contained within Hogwarts' library and numerous other tomes that she had bought for a 'bit of light summer reading,' Harry wasn't sure that he'd be able to find a book that she hadn't already read through. He knew he couldn't remember all of the titles of what she had read and he didn't want to get her something she already had…

Sighing, he decided to give up on the whole 'get Hermione a book for Christmas' idea. Racking his brain, he tried to think of something else that Hermione might like, but nothing jumped out at him. _Well, she would probably like something practical…and I suppose it could be either muggle or magical…she doesn't like quidditch…maybe some jewelry?…I don't know if that's really Hermione, though…_Harry contemplated to himself, unable to come to any definitive conclusion over what to get her.

Going through a checklist of what Hermione would like in a gift, an idea suddenly popped into Harry's head. Maybe he could get her a locket. He could put a picture of her, Ron, and he in it… and Hermione was a girl, so she liked sentimental things, right? Perhaps he'd ask Ginny, just to make sure…And maybe he could find a locket with some sort of protective spell placed upon it or something…Yes, the more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea. But where would he find what he wanted? Maybe Bill would know.

Mind made up, Harry decided to set off to find Ginny and Bill and see if they were ready to go. The Defense section was closer, so he decided to go there first and fetch Bill. Besides, Ginny tended to get irritated when parted with her mystery novels; he'd need reinforcement before confronting her.

He finally reached the back corner where the defensive texts were found, taking up twelve whole rows. Somehow Harry had the feeling that the section had grown in the years he'd been coming here; he wouldn't be surprised if it had.

Starting with the nearest row of books, he began searching down the aisles for any sign of Bill. Reaching the last line of bookcases without finding Bill, Harry paused to wonder what other section Bill might have gone to. He was thinking that maybe he had gone to find a Christmas present for someone, when a book on the shelf in front of him suddenly caught his eye.

It was placed oddly, the rather small text having been squished between two thick tomes. It lay farther back than the rest of the books in the row, which were all in a neat line, and looked almost as if someone had stuffed it in there in order to try and hide it from view.

Curious, Harry drew it down from its high ledge and turned it over in his hands, looking for a title or any indication of what the book was about. He became quite enthralled when he discovered that he couldn't find any markings on the exterior of the book and noticed, as he ran his fingers over the outside cover, that the book was incased with green dragon hide. He caressed the expensive material reverently, liking the feel of it on his fingertips, before carefully cracking the book open.

He examined the first page, which happened to be blank, noting that it was somewhat yellowed and rimmed in muted silver about the very edge. As he flipped to the next page, he noticed that the book was upside-down, and carefully righted it before continuing.

Skipping another blank page, Harry came to the title page, a flowing script spelling out:

_Diary of Scheherazade Slytherin, 1147 A.D._

Eyes going wide, he let out an involuntary gasp, shocked by the amazing discovery he had inadvertently made. He wondered for a brief moment whether this could be the book that Malfoy had been trying to conceal from him before quickly dismissing the idea: the book Malfoy was reading had been much larger.

Gingerly flipping to the next page, afraid that even with the magical spells undoubtedly protecting the over 800 year old journal he would still accidentally tear one of the thin pages, he noticed that the next page contained a short letter of sorts.

_To my future heirs, upholders of the Slytherin bloodline:_

_I have foreseen a great rift forming between the lion and the snake, one that will undoubtedly lead to war, though how far off such events are I cannot say. A great tyrant born from our house will taint our good name and cause unnecessary grief and a misinterpretation of all of the things we hold most dear. _

_Despite the fact that he will born from you to whom I now write, this warmonger must be stopped by any means possible, even if it means the end of our line. In order to achieve this, you must join forces with those that oppose you and find a child born of both Slytherin and Gryffindor. _

_He will be marked by the element of all consuming light, a symbol of the darkness he has faced and overcome. Only he can stop the otherwise eminent destruction of the wizarding race._

_Heed my words and be ever watchful, for you and your brethren will be the force that turns the tide of the war. _

_Your ancestral father and son of the great founder,_

_Scheherazade Slytherin_

Stunned by this new discovery, Harry stood silently, almost frozen with shock and the weight of the words he had just read. Shakily, he lifted a hand, tracing the tip of a finger gently over his lightning shaped scar…_ the element of all consuming light._ Was it possible? The son of Salazar Slytherin himself had told all of his future heirs and anyone in his house to join forces with him…_ a child born of both Slytherin and Gryffindor. _Sure, the sorting hat had wanted to put him in Slytherin, but he wouldn't say that made him _born_ of Slytherin.

Maybe Scheherazade's vision, prophecy?—whatever it was—hadn't been referring to him after all. But there were just too many pieces that added up, and they all pointed at Harry as being the child mentioned in this letter.

"Harry?" a sudden call brought him back to reality as Bill suddenly popped up from around the corner of the bookshelf. "There you are. I thought I saw you go to the back of the store, but I guess I was wrong…" Bill muttered to himself.

"No, I was in the back, but then I came here looking for you," Harry cut in, smiling at Bill in amusement. Bill let out a light chuckle, shaking his head slightly.

"It figures," he spoke, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, Gin and I are ready to go. You all set?" Bill questioned, raising one of his dark red eyebrows in a way which Harry had always wished he could do but had never quite figured out how to.

"Yeah, I'm ready," he answered, following Bill out of the aisle and towards the front counter, Slytherin's diary in hand.

Ginny was standing up front, arms crossed over her chest and her foot tapping a rhythm on the hardwood floor as she waited impatiently. "Took you long enough," she spoke in exasperation, leveling a glare at her brother, though there was no heat behind it.

Bill shrugged his shoulders in a half hearted apology, quickly attempting to explain. "I had trouble finding him," he defended himself, referring to Harry, "Apparently he went off searching for me in the Defense section, which of course was the last place I happened to look."

Ginny rolled her eyes letting out a slight snort of amusement as she shook her head. "Yeah, sure, just go and blame it on Harry why don't you," she chastised teasingly, shoving a handful of books into her brother's arms.

Harry furrowed his brows in confusion, wondering why Ginny was making her brother purchase her books for her. Catching the look, Ginny took it upon herself to explain. "It's my Christmas present. It's easier to just pick it out myself and have him buy it for me rather than have him trying to guess at what I'd like," she informed Harry. He nodded, the explanation making perfect sense, though he still thought it somewhat funny that she was picking out her own present.

Moving over to the check out line, which was surprisingly short considering how near the holidays were, Harry and Bill waited patiently to pay for their books, Ginny casually browsing a few of the 'new arrivals' set up nearby. Allowing Bill to check out first, Harry watched as he dumped his pile on the counter, a grey haired old witch behind the register frowning at his mistreatment of the merchandise, causing Harry to smile.

"Next!" a somewhat nasal voice rang out, Harry embarrassedly realizing that a register had opened up while he'd been watching the scene with Bill. Rushing over to the counter, he set his one book down upon it, hastily reaching inside his cloak to retrieve his pouch full of wizarding currency.

Setting his money on the counter after successfully locating it, Harry glanced up to see the old, bespecked wizard behind the counter giving him an odd look. "You sure you want to buy this book, son?" the elderly man asked in slight confusion, glancing curiously up at Harry.

The question caused Harry to frown. "Why wouldn't I?" he asked in bewilderment, wondering if the man was referring to the fact that it was written by a Slytherin.

Glancing at Harry as if he was rather daft, the man explained as if it should be obvious: "Well, you can't read it, so unless you just want it to sit up on a shelf and look nice…I suppose it is rather interesting, though. Never did figure out what language it's written in. I know just about every language there is in the magical world…mermish, centaurn, veelaus…but this one still eludes me even after all these years…" the man trailed off, shaking his head slightly, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. "I suppose if you really want to buy it…"

"I do," Harry abruptly cut in, the man's words both intriguing and startling him. "Like you said, it's really interesting…maybe I'll be able to figure out what it is…" he trailed off, his mind working frantically as it tried to answer the question of what the language was, though he had a sinking suspicion that he already knew. After all, what was the special trait passed down through the Slytherin blood line? He would bet anything that the book was written in Parseltongue, hence the reason he could read it and this man could not.

Satisfied with Harry's answer, the man rang up the book, totaling it up to one galleon and five knuts. Harry counted out the amount, hastily placing the coins into the man's waiting hand. Grabbing the sack embellished with 'Flourish and Blotts' in a swirling script across the side, Harry hurried over to the exit where Bill and Ginny were waiting for him.

"Where to now?" he asked them as they exited the store, the bell chiming once again as they left.

Glancing down at his wristwatch, Bill answered, "The Leaky Caldron, it's almost one." Harry nodded, following Ginny as she led the way to the designated meeting spot.

"I wonder what Hermione and Ron have been getting up to," she mused aloud as she glanced into the various shops along the way to The Leaky Caldron.

"Sorry to inform you Gin, but I doubt that they were snogging in the middle of the street or anything," Bill informed his sister somewhat sarcastically, receiving a glare from her in response.

"I _know_ that," she responded indignantly, rolling her eyes, "But maybe they got to talking and realized a few…_things_." She smiled at the thought, obviously hoping that her matchmaking efforts would pay off.

"And if they didn't…?" Harry questioned, almost dreading the answer as a look of determination spread across Ginny's lightly freckled face.

"Then will just have to try harder," the girl replied as if it should be obvious, opening the door to their destination and heading inside the building.

Harry and Bill sighed and shook their head respectively, sharing a look as if to say, 'How the hell did we get ourselves caught up in this mess?'

* * *

Author's Notes: Another chapter at last. Sorry it's taken me so damn long, I really don't have an excuse except for that I've been busy and had a bit of writer's block. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. I know there's still no Harry/Bill action, but hopefully more will happen between them in the next chapter. Don't hate me, but the next chapter probably won't be up for a while. I have a ton of other stories I need to work on updating, and I'm not really sure what I want to happen in the next installment of this fic. Anyway, thank you for all of the wonderful reviews, I really appreciate them and am overjoyed by the amount of positive feedback (and interest in the Harry/Bill pairing) that I have received. ;) 

ISC: That is weird. Don't think that I was making fun of the nickname or anything, it's just that after I had typed it out I just realized the fact that it was also a type of alcohol, so I decided to have Ginny mention something about the connection.

PaddycakePadfoot: I think that the anticipation of them getting together is actually more exciting than when it finally happens. I don't know if anyone else agrees with me on that, but yeah...By the way, I love Pride and Prejudice! I have the BBC miniseries version of it on tape! It's like six hours long, so I watch whenever I'm stuck at home because I'm sick. ;)

Zoeybell: I don't know what Bill's real name is in the cannon, but I decided to make his full name William. And, although it seems rather odd, Bill is actually a nickname for William along with Will.


	6. Secrets and Suggestions

Summery: For the last Christmas they may ever get the chance to spend all together, the Weasley boys (Fred, George, Percy, Charlie, and Bill) are coming home to spend time with the rest of the clan (including Harry and Hermione.) But, when Bill gets there ahead of schedule and Harry has a fight with his friends, two people will end up spending more time together than anticipated and something more than brotherly love will develop. SLASH. Bill/Harry

Disclaimer: I (as you might have guessed) do not own Harry Potter or anything even remotely affiliated with it.

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CHAPTER SIX: SECRETS AND SUGGESTIONS 

The thick, comforting smell of smoke wafted about the three of them as they entered the pub, Harry inhaling the familiar scent deeply. Bill, too, inhaled the cloud of smoke circulating about the room, not only enjoying the familiar Leaky Cauldron atmosphere, but also the nicotine which he had been so desperately craving ever since he had arrived home.

"Merlin, I would kill for a cigarette right now," Bill commented softly under his breath, as if to keep the other two from overhearing, taking another deep breath of the hazy air.

Harry, not more than two feet away, couldn't help but overhear. "I didn't know that you smoke," Harry remarked, somewhat surprised, more at the fact that he hadn't been aware of that than of the revelation really being all that shocking.

Bill smirked and let out a small chuckle at that. "My parents don't know either, not to mention the rest of my family, so I'd be grateful if you could just keep that little bit of information to yourself," Bill remarked, leaning in to make sure no one-and most especially Ginny-would overhear and sharing a secretive smile with Harry as they followed Ginny over to the table she had chosen.

"Sure thing," Harry replied, inexplicably thrilled to have been entrusted with such a secret by the eldest Weasley brother.

"I can't believe nobody else is here yet," Ginny suddenly remarked, seeming somewhat put out by having to wait for everyone else to arrive.

Bill merely shrugged in response, plopping himself down in a seat. "We _are_ early, Gin. I mean, it's not even one o'clock yet," he answered her unasked question, receiving a light glare for his efforts.

Ginny merely sighed in resignation. "I know, I just hate having to wait," she complained idly, seating herself across from Bill and back in the secluded little corner that their table rested up against.

Harry sat down as well, choosing the seat next to Bill and feeling somewhat silly sitting at such a large table when it was currently only the three of them. "Any idea what we're going to do after lunch?" he questioned, trying to make conversation and truly curious as to what their plans were, if they even had any.

"Umm, not really," Bill mused, seeming to ponder the possibilities of what they could do, though with little success.

"Go shopping?" Ginny suggested hopefully, knowing that Bill and Harry probably wouldn't be too enthused with the idea but that they all still needed to get gifts.

Harry groaned at hearing that before suddenly perking up as he remembered his gift idea for Hermione and the fact that he had wanted to gauge Ginny's response to it. "Actually, that's probably a good idea; I still need to get a gift for Hermione," he conceded. Before he could continue, though, Bill cut in.

"Really? I figured that book you bought was for her," he spoke, raising an eyebrow as if to question what, or rather who, the book was for then.

"No, it just looked interesting, so I bought it for myself," Harry admitted somewhat sheepishly, knowing that he was supposed to be out shopping for Christmas gifts for his friends and not for himself.

Bill chuckled at that as Ginny rolled her eyes. "I swear, you're as bad as Ron," she informed Harry with a slight frown. "You know, one time he bought me this Chuddly Cannons book for my birthday and then asked if he could borrow it right afterwards. It was so obvious that he really only bought it for himself," she huffed indignantly, frowning.

Bill laughed aloud as he heard Ginny's declaration, clearly able to imagine Ron doing just that. "Yeah, Ron can be a bit self centered at times," he agreed, shaking his head in amusement as Harry tried to suppress a smile, feeling as if laughing would be a betrayal of his friend.

"Speaking of Ron…" Ginny suddenly spoke quietly, nodding her head in the direction of the entrance. Harry and Bill both turned in their seats, taking note of the fact that Ron and Hermione had just walked in and were currently making their way over towards their table.

Harry sighed at that, happy to see his friends, though somewhat disappointed by their untimely arrival. He supposed he would just have to ask Ginny about the whole locket idea later.

Bill, however, raised an eyebrow in feigned shock, sending a surprised and amused glance in his brother's direction. His eyes flicked down to his watch, taking note of the time. "One minute before one," he remarked with shock, "Well, Ron, I wasn't expecting _you_ for at least another 20 minutes or so," he trailed off, sharing a laugh with Ginny and Harry, both aware of Ron's habitual lateness, as his brother glared at him.

"It's all _her_ fault," Ron declared in irritation, casting a sulky look towards the bushy haired girl standing beside him. "She wouldn't even let me look at the new Firebolt," he accused, angrily taking a seat next to his sister as Hermione sat down on his other side, looking unaffected by Ron's ire. "'Come now, Ron, we can't be late to meet the others,'" Ron mimicked in a high pitched nasally voice which was supposed to be an imitation of Hermione's though it sounded nothing like her. "What a bunch of bullocks. I mean, Charlie, Gred, and Forge aren't even _here_ yet."

"There's no need to act like a petulant child, Ron. You can go look at the broom after we've eaten lunch if it makes you feel better, though I don't see why you're so fascinated by it in the first place," Hermione reasoned, looking annoyed by Ron's whining.

"Fine," Ron relented, though his arms were still crossed across his chest and he still seemed upset with Hermione, "but this time I want to take someone with me who actually _appreciates_ quidditch."

Hermione rolled her eyes, but didn't voice any objection, instead scanning a menu and trying to decide on what she wanted to eat.

Bill sent Harry a bemused look, finding Ron and Hermione's fights humourous rather than annoying as Harry usually did. Catching the look, Harry found himself seeing the humour in the situation, which truly was a lot easier when it wasn't just him have to deal with the two of them alone.

Stifling a laugh, he grabbed a menu, hiding behind it lest Ron or Hermione catch sight of his mirth. Gaining control of himself, he sent a mock glare in Bill's direction, wondering if he had been _trying_ to get him in trouble with his friends. Bill merely smiled good-naturedly and shrugged in response before turning back to his own menu.

Ginny watched the whole exchange as best she could, feeling somewhat like a third--or would it be fifth?-- wheel. Well, she felt a little left out to say the least. That aside, she was happy that everything seemed to be going according to plan.

Ron and Hermione had had another fight, sure, but that was nothing unusual and at least they were spending more time together. She was confident that they would figure it all out soon enough given the opportunity-which she would make sure they had.

Bill and Harry were getting along well, though she wasn't sure how hard the transition from friends to…something _more_…was going to be. She could tell they liked each other, but them liking each other and getting them to _realize_ that they liked each other were two very different things. She had a feeling that this was going to a bit more of a challenge than she had at first presumed.

Not only were they both male, presenting problems in and of itself--although wizarding society seemed to be more accepting of homosexual relationships than muggle--but there was also the age difference to consider. Not only that, but Harry was like a brother to Ron, so getting Harry and Bill alike to stop considering each other as some sort of extended family would be difficult. Not that Ginny wasn't up to the task.

On the contrary; she was actually looking quite forward to it. Of course, she didn't have much time to make it happen, but that would only make her imminent success that much more of an accomplishment. Unlike her brothers, she tended to be devious and troublesome in much more…_subtle_…and _helpful _ways. Although that didn't take away the thrill and excitement of it all. Plus, she could feel good about her meddling; she was doing them all a favor. She only hoped that _they_ would see it that way too if they ever happened to find out.

Letting out a sigh, Ginny came to the conclusion that she could think all of this through later. Right now, she needed to end the damn tension between Ron and Hermione. "So, where have you guys gone so far?" Ginny questioned nonchalantly, hoping that such a mundane subject wouldn't cause any more arguments to break out between her brother and who she soon hoped would be his girlfriend. You never did know when it came to them now a days…

Ron looked suspicious of the innocent question, causing Ginny to wonder what on earth the two could have been up to during their time alone. "Don't think that I'm going to give you any hints as to what your present is this year," Ron informed his sister, glaring at her half-heartedly. Ginny simply rolled her eyes.

As Ron turned back to his menu, Ginny let her eyes drift down to the two bags of merchandise he had set down beside him. One read "Gizmos and Gadgets," a store which catered to witches and wizards of muggle background (or people like her dad who were simply inexplicably fascinated by muggle contraptions). Ginny had a feeling that she knew exactly whose gift Ron had gotten there. The other bag said "Spellbound," a relatively new store that catered to a younger crowd. Ginny hoped that whatever item Ron had purchased there was for her.

Sitting up straight in her chair once again, Ginny smiled to herself as she came up with a brilliant plan. "You know, Ron, I've been getting rather good at Divination," she commented offhandedly, feigning nonchalance. "It really wouldn't be all that hard to just sense where you've been..." she trailed off, wondering if Ron would bite. Glancing surreptitiously across the table at Harry and her eldest brother, she snuck them a wink before glancing over at Ron, who was giving her a disbelieving look.

Smiling serenely at Ron in a way that would have done Luna Lovegood proud, Ginny closed her eyes, appearing to be deep in thought. "Let's see...I have a feeling that you went to...hmm...Gizmos and Gadgets...and...Spellbound..." Ginny revealed in a rather convincing manner, slowly opening her eyes with a dazed sort of look and then glancing at Ron as if to ask if she had been correct.

Her brother's mouth was agape as he stared at her incredulously and Ginny found herself hard pressed not to burst out laughing at his shocked face. "H-how did you...? That's impossible!" Ron exclaimed.

Ginny couldn't contain her laughter any longer, and broke into a hysterical fit at her brother's expense. "It's not that hard, Ron. All I had to do was look at your shopping bags," Ginny revealed, once again laughing, this time joined by the rest of the group (minus Ron), as Ron turned incredibly pink in embarrassment and spluttered indignantly.

"Well, fine then, no Christmas present for you," Ron announced grumpily, glaring at his sister, though they could all tell that he wasn't serious.

A chime interrupted the scene, and they all turned toward the door to see a flurry of red hair. Bill waved his brothers over, making sure that they saw the group seated in the far corner. Charlie waved in return while the twins continued to chat excitedly to one another, probably thinking up some new concoction for their joke shop.

Grabbing the chair next to Ron, and leaving the twins to sit beside Harry, Charlie slumped down in his seat, shaking his head as he set down his purchases. "Why did I agree to take those two with me?" he complained jokingly, rolling his eyes before letting out a light chuckle. "Seriously, though, I think we need to switch partners after lunch or something."

Ginny was quick to agree, a plan already forming in her head. "That's a good idea. I need to get a present for Bill, so I think you and I should pair up, Charlie. That way, the twins can be together, cause we all know that there's no separating them, and then everyone else can just remain as they are," she suggested, not really leaving much room for argument.

"Yeah, okay," Charlie accepted, glancing over Ron's shoulder so that he could take a peek at the menu.

Ron fidgeted, glancing irritatedly at his brother as he scooted his chair a bit closer to Hermione. "Get your own menu," he commanded, scowling. "You know I don't like it when people peer over my shoulder; it bothers me."

Charlie sighed, but sat back in his own chair. "You're so weird, Ron," he informed his brother before turning his attention to finding a menu.

Seeing Charlie's plight, Hermione hastily handed him her own menu. "I already know what I want," she said by way of explanation, before turning toward Ron with a chastising look. "For goodness sake, Ron, you couldn't even let your own brother look over your shoulder? I don't see why you have to be so difficult all the time," she announced, crossing her arms across her chest as she pursed her lips.

"I _told _you, Hermione, it _bothers _me," Ron retorted, scowling at the girl. "And I don't see why _you _have to be so difficult all the time," he added sourly.

Hermione huffed indignantly and was about to respond, but Charlie beat her to it. "Thanks for the menu, Hermione," he spoke graciously, happily noting that the disaster had been averted as Hermione sat back in her chair.

"Your welcome," she replied, no longer about to go off on Ron, but continuing to glare at him all the same.

Eager to change the subject, Harry suddenly cut in. "So, uh...what time do we have to be back?" he asked, actually somewhat curious as to what the answer was.

It was Bill who responded, probably because Mrs. Weasley had drilled all of the stipulations of the excursion into him, he being the eldest. "We don't have to be back until nine, though we should probably leave at about eight just to make sure that we get home in plenty of time. I think mum would have a conniption if we were even a minute late; you know how quick to jump to conclusions she's been lately," Bill explained, a weary look crossing his face at the thought of just why his mother was so hysterical lately.

Harry saw the look, the one that told him Bill was thinking about the war. It was a topic hard to avoid now, but for today at the very least, Harry didn't want to think about it, or have anyone else think about it either for that matter. "Okay. So, that leaves us with quite a bit of time...What are we going to do until then?" he questioned, trying to distract Bill from his thoughts and get a conversation going.

Ginny was the first to respond. "I wish that we could stay later," she spoke wistfully, letting out a sigh. "I've been wanting to check out that new club that opened up over on Argent Alley."

Bill raised an eyebrow, surprised by his sister's words. "Sorry, Gin, but I don't think mum will let you guys go. Besides, I don't really think you're old enough to go clubbing yet," Bill informed her.

Ginny sighed. "Yes, I know that mum would through a fit, but it's not that bad. It's an all ages club, and besides, Argent Alley is pretty safe...Do you think she'd let us go if we had you and Charlie to supervise?" Ginny asked hopefully, glancing with pleading eyes at her oldest brother.

Bill shook his head slightly in thought before turning to gauge his brother's response to Ginny's inquiry. "Charlie, what do you think?" he questioned, unsure if even contemplating the suggestion was a very good idea.

"Hmm...I don't know. You're on your own there. I don't think it really matters, though, because mum will never agree to it," Charlie spoke, voicing what they had all been thinking. He paused a moment, contemplating the situation, before adding: "I wouldn't be adverse to taking you guys, though."

Ginny considered that a partial victory and smiled slightly at Charlie's response. If she just worked on them a bit more, she figured that she could probably wear them down; it would be her mum that would be the tough one to break. "If all of us go there together, then we'll be fine. You know, safety in numbers. And I bet that if we all promise to be good and look out for each other that we could eventually get mum to agree," Ginny speculated hopefully, crossing her fingers.

Bill sighed in defeat, shaking his head amusedly at his sister. "Alright, Gin, I give up. You're going to have a hell of a time convincing mum, though," he conceded, wondering if even Ginny could pull it off.

Ginny grinned, clapping her hands in excitement. "You know what they say: where there's a will there's a way," she announced, smiling delightedly. Now all she had to do was to get her mum to agree to it and figure out how this would fit into her matchmaking scheme.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed! I know that it's been like two months since I last updated, and I'm very sorry for taking so long, but at least I _did _update. (And don't worry, because I am going to continue chugging away at this fic even if it does take me a while for each chapter.) Anyway, not much going on in this chappie except for the hint at what's coming up. The clubbing seems a little bit out of place, but I tried to make if work and fit in with the story fairly well. I don't know if the club scene will actually be in the next chapter, because I want to show a bit of Harry and Bill's alone time that Ginny got them. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it, and I'll try to update again soon, though there's no guarantees. ;) 

Now to answer your guys's questions...

shazia Born confused: Sorry about the long wait. I'm not exactly sure how long I'm going to make the fic, though I think I am going to end it at the end of the holidays. There might be a sequel after that, though. As for which year this is, Harry, Hermione, and Ron are all in seventh year, which would make Ginny of course in sixth.

Paddycakepadfoot: Sorry I made you wait so long! Anyway, about Draco...he's going to have a part to play later on, though I'm not sure whether or not it's going to be in this fic or the sequel I'm planning. Something's definately up, but it's going to be a while before Draco comes into play again.

Haunt of twilight: Yes, the book was in Parseltongue. I think I mentioned it in the chapter, but I'm too lazy to go back and look, so I could be wrong. From the impression I got in the cannon, Harry doesn't even realize when he's speaking Parseltongue, he can't tell the difference, so I figured that it would probably be the same for reading. The clerk's comments were an attempt realistically drawing Harry to the conclusion that the book was in Parseltongue.

Kari Morgana Black: Thank you so much! Surprisingly, I hadn't come across the fic before you mentioned it. I usually am constantly checking the site for new updates with my favorite pairs, but so rarely are new fics added in the categories that I like, that I just gave up looking for a while. Anyway, I've started reading the fic. It is really good so far, though I'm only on chapter four. That just made my day, so thanks again!


	7. Shops and Shocks

Summery: For the last Christmas they may ever get the chance to spend all together, the Weasley boys (Fred, George, Percy, Charlie, and Bill) are coming home to spend time with the rest of the clan (including Harry and Hermione.) But, when Bill gets there ahead of schedule and Harry has a fight with his friends, two people will end up spending more time together than anticipated and something more than brotherly love will develop. SLASH. Bill/Harry

Disclaimer: I (as you might have guessed) do not own Harry Potter or anything even remotely affiliated with it.

* * *

CHAPTER SEVEN: SHOPS AND SHOCKS 

"Do you think Hermione would like this one?" Harry asked, turning to show the locket in question to Bill. It was a pretty golden circular shape with a tasteful amount of ornamentation, though it didn't really scream Hermione.

Bill scrutinized the necklace for a moment, narrowing his eyes as he studied it intently. "It's nice..." he spoke at length, delicately lifting the locket from Harry's hand to view it closer up. "But, it seems to me that you should be able to find one that better suites Hermione," he finished, setting the locket back in its place and moving down the row of jewelry.

Harry sighed, growing frustrated with his self appointed task. "You're right, though I'm starting to wonder if this whole locket thing was really such a good idea...Maybe I should just get her a book or something," Harry complained, casting cursory glances at the array of lockets as he walked along.

"I think that getting Hermione a locket is a good idea," Bill quickly reassured Harry, giving him a sincere smile. "Problem is, you haven't found the right locket yet," he finished, continuing to peruse the aisle in hopes of helping Harry out of his dilemma.

Suddenly Harry stopped dead in his tracks, mouth falling open in slight startlement as a locket suddenly jumped out at him. Gazing at it in wonder, he cautiously reached out for it, displacing it from its velvet pillow as he analyzed his find. It was a sort of tarnished silver in color, making it look full of history rather than just like an old piece of junk. It was sturdy, well built, though still maintained a certain sense of delicacy and a graceful beauty. It was perfect.

Noticing Harry's discovery, Bill leaned in to take a look as well. He smiled, knowing that their search was over and glad that Harry had found a gift for his friend that he was satisfied with. "I think Hermione will really like that one," he stated unnecessarily.

Harry nodded, still gazing at the locket. "Yeah, I think so too," he replied, smiling proudly as he glanced around in search for a sales associate. Spotting an elderly man coming in from the back of the shop, he patiently waited until he caught the man's eye.

Smiling sociably, elderly wizard made his way over to them, his shockingly green robes reminding Harry eerily of Dumbledore. "Is there anything I can help you gentlemen with?" the man queried kindly, smiling at both in turn.

Hesitantly returning the smile, Harry paused a moment to gather his thoughts before continuing. "Umm...I was thinking about getting this locket as a Christmas present for my friend and...Well, I was wondering if it has any special protection charms or if you can cast some on it or if you even do that...?" Harry trailed off, realizing that he was rambling and hadn't given the older wizard a chance to reply.

The man merely smiled merrily at Harry for a moment, finding his babbling amusing, before taking a pair of well worn spectacles out of an inner pocket of his robe and focusing on the object held in Harry's outstretched hand. "A fine eye you have for jewelry, my boy," the wizard began by saying, accepting the locket from Harry and cradling it in his own, rather wrinkled hands.

"Yes, indeed. This piece used to belong to the great, great granddaughter of Rowena Ravenclaw, you know," he informed them sagely, letting that piece of information sink in before continuing. "I assure you that it is already quite well protected; the wearer of this locket will be safe from all minor spells, pretty well guarded against many of the intermediates, and even fairly well off against some of the more major ones."

Harry stared at the locket in amazement, wondering how it was possible for the small object to contain so much power. "What else can you tell me about it?" he asked the wizened wizard, gazing curiously at the practically ancient artifact.

"Well, as I am sure you have guessed by now, this is no ordinary locket. Not only does it have many protective and warding spells embedded in the metal, but it also will grow warm to the touch when danger is near to warn you of impending attacks. And, see this," here the man paused, holding the locket out for both Harry and Bill to see, before flipping the pendant to reveal some engravings on the back. "This is a spell meant to shield the locket from being worn by those that the Ravenclaw line would have found unworthy. The locket chooses who it reveals itself to, and it apparently has chosen you."

Harry and Bill stared, first at the elder wizard and then at the locket held within his grasp. It was Bill who had a question this time. "How did you come across it?" he wondered aloud, peering at the deceptively ordinary piece of jewelry.

"I was an old friend of Eugenia Lawcraven, who left it to me when she died," the man explained, becoming thoughtful after bringing up his dear, departed friend. Shaking his head slightly as if to clear his thoughts, he continued seriously: "I believe that she knew you would be coming for it. She was something of a Seer, though she was rather quiet when it came to her abilities."

Harry stood there stunned, trying to process what he had just been told. He didn't give much credence to divination most of the time, despite the prophecy concerning him and Voldemort, but he supposed that it didn't really matter whether this prediction turned out to be true or not because he planned on getting the locket for Hermione regardless.

"Yes, I think I'll get it...Is there anything else I should know?" he queried, hoping that it wasn't like one of those things you always saw in the B rated muggle films where the object caused the wearer to be cursed by some ancient dark spell.

The man frowned slightly, his brow creased in thought as he tried to recall anything else he might know about the locket. Nothing came to mind. "I'm sure that there is more to that locket than I've told you, lad, but there's not anymore about it that _I _know. It's not going to bring any harm to your friend, though, if that's what you're thinking," he finished, smiling warmly in reassurance.

Harry nodded, feeling somewhat sheepish about his worries...although Ron was always telling him about disastrous encounters with enchanted objects. Following the old wizard up to the front of the shop, Harry waited patiently as he rung up the locket.

"Your total is fifteen galleons, five sickles, and two knuts(1). Would you like it gift wrapped?" Harry pondered for a moment before deciding that it would be too much of a hassle to wrap it himself. He nodded his head in reply. "Very well, I'll just go take care of this for you in the back real quick," the shopkeeper informed, disappearing through the back door.

Taking his coin pouch out of his robe pocket, Harry carefully counted out the correct amount, laying it on the counter for when the man returned. Mentally going over his Christmas list, he made sure that he had now gotten gifts for all on his list except for Bill, who he would either buy a gift for later or owl order one. Satisfied that he hadn't forgotten anyone, he turned back toward Bill, curious as to how much time they had left.

"What time is it?" Harry questioned, vaguely noting that it was already getting pretty dark outside. Then again, it was winter and they were pretty far north, so there weren't a lot of hours of daylight.

Glancing at his magically enhanced wristwatch, Bill let out a low whistle. "It's four; we've still got a whole hour to kill before we're supposed to meet everyone. I don't know about you, but I've already bought everything on my list..." Bill trailed off, waiting for some response from Harry.

"Umm...yeah, I don't have anything left to get either," Harry replied lamely, not knowing what else to say. What could they do for the next hour or so? Before he had time to really ponder the question, the sales clerk came back into the main portion of the shop, eloquently wrapped silver and red package in hand.

Harry accepted the package while the man collected the money and wrote out a receipt. Shrinking the package, Harry hid it securely in his robe pocket, for a moment panicking about the gift accidently getting squished before remembering that gift boxes in the magical world were spelled so that they would lose shape. After that was done with, he smiled and nodded in farewell to the shop owner, following Bill out onto the alley again.

Once outside, Bill halted a few steps away from the door, glancing in both directions down Diagon and letting out a sigh. "So where do you want to go now?" he asked his younger companion, raising a red eyebrow.

Harry thought for a moment, but was at somewhat of a loss. He was pretty tired of shopping and they had just eaten...he couldn't really think of anything else to do. "I suppose we could just go get a drink somewhere or something," Harry hedged, feeling somewhat uncomfortable at the thought of spending a whole hour alone with Bill and without the distraction of shopping.

"Yeah, a cup of warm spiced apple cider sounds pretty good right now," Bill agreed, heading in the direction of the leaky cauldron, where they were going to have to meet up with the others anyway.

"So, do you think your mum will actually let us go to the club tonight?" Harry asked, feeling the need to make conversation and also somewhat leery of Ginny's plan. After all, he'd never been to a club before and he didn't want to make a fool of himself. Although it would certainly be a good place to work on getting Hermione and Ron together.

"Well, I don't think she'll be too keen on the idea, but Ginny's mum's favorite; if anyone can break mum's resolve, it's her," Bill declared with a chuckle, shaking his head slightly in amusement. Suddenly something caught Bill's eye, a devious look--reminding Harry uncannily of the twins--crossing his face at whatever it was he had seen.

Wondering what could have piqued Bill's interests so, Harry spun around on his heel, finding himself facing Spellbound with slight confusion. He didn't see anything unusual, so what was Bill looking at? Before Harry had a chance to ask, Bill suddenly grabbed a hold of his arm, dragging him into the store as he revealed his plan.

"If we're going to go clubbing tonight, then we've got to get you something appropriate to wear," Bill explained, seemingly excited at the prospect of helping Harry pick out some new clothes. Harry, however, wasn't nearly so enthused.

"Really, Bill, that's not necessary. We probably won't be allowed to go anyway, and if we do go I can just borrow something from Ron," Harry protested in vain, blushing slightly in embarrassment.

Bill merely gave Harry a skeptical look worthy of Hermione. "Come on, Harry, be a good sport. We've got some spare time and, no offense, but the clothes you have on now look more suited for a house-elf than a wizard," Bill pointed out, causing Harry to pull his robe tighter around him to hide his worn hand-me-downs.

"I don't know, Bill, I mean, I've never really gone clothes shopping before..." Harry trailed off, nervous.

"Look, I'll pick some things out and all you have to do is try them on. If you don't like any of the stuff I pick out, then you don't have to buy anything, okay?" Bill proposed reasonably.

Harry couldn't see any harm in that arrangement, so reluctantly he agreed. "Alright, but I reserve the right to refuse to put on anything I don't feel comfortable with," Harry stipulated, stubborn to the last.

Bill rolled his eyes. "I'm not trying to torture you. And I hope that doesn't mean you think I have no fashion sense," Bill feigned offense.

Harry sighed. "Okay, let's get this over with," he deadpanned, though he was secretly somewhat excited about the whole idea.

Bill smiled, immediately getting to work as he searched the clothes racks, grabbing a shirt or pair of pants here and there. Harry watched in fascination, unused to having anyone dote on him (his 'fans' didn't dote on him, they just annoyed the hell out of him).

Having collected quite a few articles of clothing, Bill ushered Harry into a fitting room after hanging everything carefully inside. "I want to see _everything _that you try on; I don't think I trust you when it comes to making wardrobe decisions," Bill intoned, causing Harry to roll his eyes as he shut the current for privacy.

"No need to roll your eyes, young man," a voice spoke from just behind Harry in the dressing room, nearly startling him to death. Turning, he came face to face with a full length mirror. Why did wizards have to charm _everything_? Couldn't they see that some things were better left alone? After all, who wanted to have an animated mirror watching them while they changed? Before he could find his voice to say something in response, the mirror continued. "Judging by your current attire, I'd have to say that your boyfriend is quite right in his judgment," the female voice observed.

Harry was even more startled by the last comment than he had been by the mirror talking in the first place. "He-he's n-not my...boyfriend," Harry stammered out, blushing madly and listening to see if he could tell whether or not Bill had picked up on what the mirror had said.

The mirror merely replied in a tone that clearly said that she didn't believe a word he was saying. "Whatever you say, dear," she spoke as if talking to a small child. Harry swore that he could hear amusement in her voice.

"He's my best friend's older brother," Harry tried to explain in a frustrated whisper, uncertain why he cared so much what a stupid mirror thought.

"That's nice, but it doesn't mean that he couldn't be your boyfriend as well," the mirror countered logically. Harry decided to give up on trying to change its mind.

"Whatever," he conceded, hesitantly proceeding to change into one of the many outfits Bill had laid out for him.

Putting on a pair of dark wash jeans that actually fit him the way that pants were supposed to, Harry examined himself in the mirror, surprised at the difference a simple change in pants made. He actually looked...pretty good, if he said so himself.

"Those look quite nice on you, dear," the mirror commented appraisingly. Harry wondered if she was giving her honest opinion or merely trying to sell clothes.

"I think I'm going to get these pants; I really like them," Harry spoke loudly enough so that Bill could hear him, feeling extremely thankful to the redhead at the moment.

"Well, you have to show them to me first," Bill said back.

Harry was surprised when he heard footsteps right outside the fitting room. "I'm not dressed!" he declared in a panic.

Bill chuckled from outside the curtain. "I have five brothers, Harry, it's not like you have anything I haven't seen before. Besides, you change in front of your dormmates all the time; no need to be shy now," Bill reminded. "So, can I come in?"

Harry knew he was being silly and wasn't quite sure why he was suddenly feeling so uncomfortable, but only knew that he was. But if he didn't let Bill come in, then he would know something was wrong or think he was being weird. Sighing, Harry hesitantly pulled the curtain back, allowing Bill inside the dressing room.

Bill let out a low whistle, checking out the pants Harry had on. "Lookin' good!" he commented, raising his eyebrows. He chuckled, letting Harry know that he was merely teasing as Harry blushed. "Seriously, though, I think you should get the jeans. They fit you _way _better than any of the pairs you have," Bill informed the younger.

"Yeah, I was planning on buying them. Thanks for dragging me in here," Harry replied, smiling in gratitude at Bill, though he felt rather sheepish.

The red head chuckled, waving it off. "It's my pleasure. Now hurry up and try on the rest of those clothes before we run out of time," Bill declared, turning and heading out through the curtain.

Harry sighed, facing the neatly hung up clothes to pick out what he would try on next. Before he could decide, the mirror suddenly broke into his thoughts.

"I suppose he's not your boyfriend," the mirror conceded, giving Harry a great deal of relief despite himself. Of course, that was before he heard the rest of her assessment. "Yes, he may not be your boyfriend now, but he soon will be."

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know, I know, I didn't get to the club scene! I'm sorry you guys, but I promise it will be in the next chapter. I hope you liked this chapter anyway. I got really excited when I thought up the whole thing with the mirror. Not really any action going on, but still..._something_. I'll try to update again as soon as I can, though the next chapter probably won't be out for at least another week or two (maybe more). Also, I posted a drawing I did of Bill on my website. You can view it at http/ www. deathbysuffication/ billweasleydrawing .html (just take out the spaces). 

1) I wasn't really sure what the price should be on this because I'm uncertain of what the conversion rate is. If anybody has a better idea of what it should be, just let me know. Otherwise, just pretend it's reasonable.


	8. Compliments, Crushes, and Conspirators

Summery: For the last Christmas they may ever get the chance to spend all together, the Weasley boys (Fred, George, Percy, Charlie, and Bill) are coming home to spend time with the rest of the clan (including Harry and Hermione.) But, when Bill gets there ahead of schedule and Harry has a fight with his friends, two people will end up spending more time together than anticipated and something more than brotherly love will develop. SLASH. Bill/Harry

Disclaimer: I (as you might have guessed) do not own Harry Potter or anything even remotely affiliated with it.

* * *

CHAPTER EIGHT: COMPLIMENTS, CRUSHES, AND CONSPIRATORS

"I don't know, Bill," Harry declared with trepidation, checking out his outfit once more in the full length mirror hung on the back of Bill's door. "I like the clothes and all, but I'm just not sure if I feel comfortable wearing them out anywhere," Harry explained, feeling nervous about revealing the outfit he and Bill (though mostly Bill) had picked out for him to wear to the club tonight.

Bill rolled his eyes for about the eighth time, letting out a frustrated sigh. "Harry, how many times do I have to tell you? You look _great_. The clothes look _great_. And you'll fit in way better looking like this than you would if you decided to wear your 'normal' clothes," Bill assured for about the tenth time in the past five minutes. He knew Harry was self-conscience, but this was beginning to take it a bit too far.

"I know, I know. It's just...I'm not used to dressing..._hip_," Harry alleged, biting his nails as he looked himself over one last time. "Okay, I guess I'm ready to face everyone. I swear, though, if they don't react well to it, I'm changing," Harry asserted.

Bill held his hands up in a gesture of surrender, willing to agree to just about anything so long as Harry would just relax a bit and finally dare to show his face to the rest of the group. "They're _not _going to say you look bad, but if they did, I wouldn't make you wear the outfit out," Bill conceded. Putting a hand on his hip and shifting his weight to the opposite leg in a gesture of impatience, he continued: "So, are you going already?"

Worrying his lip, Harry reluctantly nodded, before allowing himself to be ushered through the door by Bill. Being led down the stairs, Harry almost lost his nerve as he approached the landing, where he knew everyone would be waiting to see the results of his 'make-over.' He felt incredibly silly, not only for getting made-over, but also for so desperately wanting to chicken out.

Deciding that if he could face Voldemort numerous times, then he could most certainly face this, Harry gathered his courage and walked the rest of the way down the stairs, pausing as all seven pairs of waiting eyes landed on him. He gave a halfhearted smile, somewhat unnerved by the attention, though he really should have been used to it by now with being the 'boy-who-lived' and all.

Becoming uncomfortable, Harry decided to break the silence. "So...what do you think?" he questioned, a worried look unavoidably crossing his face as he glanced around the room and idly scuffed his toe on the hardwood floor as he awaited an answer.

No one spoke, all too busy at the moment taking in Harry's appearance. Not only did he have on a new outfit, consisting of a pair of loosely fitted dark wash jeans and an acid green tee-shirt with the DC logo in black on the front, but he also had a new pair of green trainers to complete the outfit, along with spiky, gelled hair with green tips. He was missing his glasses too, which was a vast improvement, a sight enhancing spell(1) making them unnecessary for the next twelve hours or so.(2)

"Merlin, Harry! You look amazing!" Ginny was the first to exclaim, her face lighting up with excitement at the astonishing transformation.

"Yeah, way better than your old clothes, mate," Fred piped up, his twin beside him nodding in agreement.

"Definitely better than those old, ratty hand-me-downs those good-for-nothing relatives of yours gave you," George added in unnecessarily.

Harry blushed lightly, ducking his head down in embarrassment at the shower of compliments. Truly, though, he was relieved by the praise, which helped reassure him about the outfit and the whole make-over in general, making him feel more confident about the prospect of going out in public with the new look.

Charlie was the next to comment, seeming very impressed with his brother's work. "You did a brilliant job on the hair, Bill," he complemented before turning back toward Harry. "It all comes together really well."

Percy(3) was a little more reserved in his observation, though still complimentary. "The green color really suits you, though I'm not sure about the spiky hair."

Coming out of his shock, Ron seemed somewhat offended by the last comment. "What do you mean, 'green suits him'? Green is a _Slytherin _color!" Ron declared in protest.

Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron's behavior, she too finally coming out of her flabbergasted state. "Really, Ron! Could you _be _any more prejudice? It's just a _color_. Besides, it happens to look good on Harry; it brings out his eyes. Not to mention the fact that you could at least give Harry some praise before you start off on Percy," Hermione berated, sounding quite aggravated with Ron by this point.

"Well, _you're _one to talk!" Ron pointed out with gusto, reveling in revealing Hermione's hypocrisy.

Before the argument could really escalate, Harry cut in, feeling the need to stave off the oncoming headache his two best friends were causing with their ceaseless bickering. "Can't you guys just give it a rest for at least _one _night?" Harry pleaded, not really in the mood to deal with the two at the moment.

Hermione looked abashed, while Ron blushed scarlet. "Sorry," they both blurted at the same time, turning to glare at one another for that fact.

"Look, Harry, I'm sorry about my behavior. It won't happen again tonight," Hermione announced contritely, smiling as she added, "You look absolutely smashing, by the way."

Not to be outdone, Ron felt the need to speak up as well. "I promise I won't let Hermione get to me for the rest of the night. And loosing the glasses was definitely a good touch. No offense or anything, but I always thought they made you look sort of...dorky," Ron announced truthfully, hoping that his friend wouldn't be offended by this news.

Harry wasn't upset, though he was somewhat disappointed with his friend. "You mean I've been walking around all this time looking like a dork and you couldn't have told me that sooner?" Harry questioned, half-serious, half-joking.

Ron merely shrugged his shoulders in a gesture of apology as Harry rolled his eyes, smiling good-naturedly to let his friend know that he was only kidding around. Bill shook his head at the two, finding the whole scene amusing, but at the same time wanting to get going. It was already 10:30 and it would take them at least a half an hour to get there.

"Alright, now that we've all had an ample opportunity to take in Harry's new look, I think it's about time that we head out," Bill announced, heading for the door. Turning back toward his sister and Percy, he added, "We'll meet you in front of the Apparation Centre, Gin, Perce," waving in farewell.

Casting a warming spell on himself as the rest of his little entourage did the same, Bill headed outside, thankful that he couldn't feel the crisp autumn air as he did so. Hopefully the spell would last until they got to the club.

"I still can't believe mum actually agreed to let us go," Ron suddenly spoke up from the back, amazement lacing his voice. "Either she likes Gin a lot more than I assumed, or our sis has become quite the negotiator."

Charlie could certainly agree with that. "Yes, my hat certainly goes off to Gin. She seems to be proving a lot more mischievous than we all gave her credit for," he added with pride.

Fred and George exchanged a look at that. "You do know--" Fred started, knowing that George would know what to say in addition.

"--that she gets it--" George continued, smirking at his brother.

"--from _us_," they finished together, seemingly quite pleased with themselves.

Bill could only laugh and shake his head in response to the twins' antics. "That may be true," he allowed them, before countering with: "But you forgot to mention the fact that _you two _got 'it' from _me_."

Harry was bowled over by that revelation. "Really!" was his astounded response.

Bill raised an eyebrow in mock offense at Harry's shock. "Yes, really. I may not have had a twin to help me with my mischief making, but I was definitely a prankster in my youth," Bill revealed with pride, smirking at the continued surprise still registered on Harry's face.

Hermione too seemed taken aback. "I thought that you were Head Boy," she remarked, her image of Bill as a likable and offbeat, but straight-laced fellow completely shattered.

Bill chuckled lightly, knowing what was going through her head. "Just because I was Head Boy doesn't mean that I was all prissy and anal about following rules and such. Sure, I was somewhat of a trouble maker, but I didn't harm anyone or anything. Just innocent jokes," Bill informed them, feeling quite satisfied with himself for once again finding the chance to break someone's misconceptions concerning him and his character.

"Yeah, you shouldn't judge someone just by the fact that they were Head Boy. After all, Tom Riddle was Head Boy," Harry pointed out, causing a solemn atmosphere to settle over the group.

Not wanting to dwell on such things for the time being, Charlie broke the tense silence. "I hear Celeste is supposed to be spinning tonight," he commented in what was supposed to be a nonchalant manner, though his blatant change of subject was rather transparent.

Bill nodded. "Yeah, she's supposed to be pretty good, though I've never actually seen her spin before," he elaborated. Coming to an abrupt stop, he spun around so that he was facing the rest of the group. "Okay, we're far enough out by now that we should be able to apparate with no problems," Bill announced.

"Alright, I'll go first, then Ron, the twins, Hermione, Harry, and finally Bill," Charlie declared, before disappearing with a slight 'pop' as he apparated away, presumably to the Apparation Centre in Diagon Alley.

Letting out a sigh, Ron mentally prepared himself before he too disapparated. The twins followed suit, one bowing while the other saluted, Harry couldn't tell which one did which as he didn't get a good enough look at them before they were gone.

Hermione rolled her eyes at the twins' antics, before gathering her focus and vanishing with a light swish of her wand. Which left just Harry and Bill standing together in the empty field a little over a kilometer away from the burrow.

"After you," Bill intoned somewhat mockingly, bowing low and gesturing for Harry to go ahead in front of him with a flourish.

Harry shook his head slightly, feeling embarrassed at having Bill treat him as if he were a lady, even if it was only in jest. "You don't have to tease me all the time," Harry suggested in mild irritation, blushing as the request left his mouth.

Bill raised an eyebrow at that. "I don't?" he questioned, smirking slightly as he joked around, before turning serious. "If it bothers you, I won't tease anymore. But you should know, I only tease people I like," Bill revealed with a twinkle in his eye.

Harry gaped, wondering if Bill had really meant what he _thought _he meant. Before he could formulate some sort of response or question, Bill spoke up again. "You'd better get going before they all start to wonder what the hell happened to us," Bill informed Harry, smiling at him in a mysterious sort of way that made it so that Harry couldn't decipher just what he was thinking.

Deciding not to dwell too much on it at the moment, Harry lifted his wand, pushing all thoughts of Bill aside as he poured his concentration into apparating himself to Diagon Alley; he really didn't want to splinch himself after all. He didn't really care too much for apparating, though it was a lot more preferable than flooing, and certainly a lot more convenient than the standard muggle methods of travel.

Apparating always left him a bit disoriented, sometimes dizzy, though the feeling usually went away within a few seconds. By the time Harry shook himself clear of the aftereffects of apparating, Bill had already popped up at his side and he could see that Percy and Ginny were there as well.

"Now that we're all here..." Ginny trailed off, having gotten her point across. She shivered slightly as she hurried off in the direction of Argent Alley; Percy hadn't thought to cast warming charms on them and the idea had slipped her own mind as well.

Bill waved his wand and cast a warming charm on his sister before she even realized what was going on. As Ginny turned around with grateful surprise, Bill smiled, smirking slightly in amusement at her and his brother's absentmindedness.

Chuckling slightly as he looked over at Percy, Bill cast a warming spell on him as well, causing Percy to blush with embarrassment. "Sheesh, you'd think that someone as high up on the ministry's food chain as you are, Perce, would at least be able to cast a simple warming spell," Bill teased mercilessly, knowing that opportunities such as this were rare with Percy since he was usually such a stick in the mud.

Percy huffed slightly, but didn't bother to respond, knowing that his brother was right, and feeling rather daft. Instead, he changed the subject. "That's it, right?" he asked, gesturing ahead toward a building where a few people were heading in and a few others were hanging about outside. They were already starting to be able to hear the music even from a distance away.

"Yeah, that's it," Ginny answered for him, her eyes lighting up. "So, are you excited, Harry?" she inquired, twisting to face the green eyed boy.

Harry nodded a tad uncertainly. "Yeah, although I'm kind of nervous...I've never been to a club or anything before...and I can't dance," Harry nearly whispered the last, all his earlier courage practically evaporating as he thought about how he was sure to make a fool of himself.

It only took a moment for Ginny to think of a suitable answer to Harry's predicament, and if it wouldn't have tipped Harry off, she would have smirked with pride at her quick thinking. "Well, the main thing is just to move and keep moving. We'll let you know what looks good. And Bill's an excellent dancer, I'm sure he wouldn't mind helping you out, showing you a few moves and all," Ginny spoke as innocently as she could manage, carefully gauging Harry's reaction.

Harry was sporting a faint blush, though it was somewhat hard to tell in the dark. He was also gaping at Ginny, which was a bit more obvious, and seemed fairly unnerved by her suggestion.

Inside Ginny cheered. Before Harry could voice any objections, she hastily called her oldest brother over. "Bill, Harry's nervous about having to dance, and since you're the best dancer out of all of us, I thought that you should be the one to help him out," Ginny informed her brother, smiling sweetly up at him.

Bill seemed a bit suspicious of her motives, but wasn't about to turn away from the opportunity. "Yeah, I'd love to. Don't worry, Harry, by the end of the night no one will even be able to tell this is your first time."

Harry smiled in gratitude, feeling somewhat silly having Bill know that he was a terrible dancer. If things continued on the way that they were, Bill would begin to think he was some hopeless loser beyond help, that is if he didn't already think that by now. Harry silently berated himself for his negativity, knowing that Bill would never think that of him, even if it _did_ happen to be true.

Trying to quash his doubts, Harry smiled up at Bill. "Thanks," he spoke in reply, glad that he had Bill here to help him out.

"No problem," Bill replied, returning Harry's smile and throwing an arm about his shoulders in a friendly gesture, which made Harry somewhat uncomfortable, though not necessarily in a bad way.

Ginny smiled as she took note of this, nearly beaming. Bill caught her eye, shaking his head in a disappointed sort of way, though the fact that he rolled his eyes afterward let Ginny know that he was only kidding.

So it seemed that Bill had figured her out. Not that Ginny had expected to be able to keep it from her brother forever. After all, he knew her too well. But maybe it was better this way. He obviously wasn't mad, and it would seem he had realized that he had a crush on Harry and accepted the fact. Ginny didn't doubt that Bill could handle things from here on, but working together would certainly make things go a lot quicker.

Sneaking a quick wink and a smirk at her brother, she silently informed him that she was planning on continuing to help set them up. Bill rose in eyebrow in response, but Ginny merely shook her head. She wasn't going to be put off so easily. Finally, Bill shrugged, smiling slightly at his sister, who only rolled her eyes.

Unbeknownst to the two conspirators, George had witnessed the entire exchange, finding the whole thing rather intriguing. He would have to discuss it with his brother later, though now wasn't really the time as they had just made it to the entrance of the club.(4) Paying their two galleons each and receiving a magical stamp on the back of the hand each, they made their way inside, unaware of what the night had in store for them.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay, another chapter done and posted. And in less than a week, too, which is practically a record for me. I know you all are probably hating me right about now for cutting it off there, since they only just got inside the club, but I thought that that was a good place to stop it, so…yeah. Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter all right, even if you were disappointed about the lack of a club scene yet. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter (and all previous chapters as well)! I'll try to update again soon. ;)

1) I find it somewhat odd that nothing like this is ever mentioned in the books. Glasses just seem so..._muggle _to me. You'd think there would be a wizarding world alternative. So I decided to make one up, because it works well in the fic and it makes more sense to me than contacts. It's not a permanent fix, though, which I hope makes it more realistic.

2) I know Harry getting a make-over and suddenly becoming all hott and everything is totally overdone, but I tried to do it with my own twist and make it at least halfway believable. It's not like he just suddenly turned into a stud overnight or anything. I just hope you're not all sitting there rolling your eyes thinking, 'Well, _that _was predictable!'

3) I know that Percy wasn't talking to his family and all in the fifth book (I still haven't read the sixth book, so I don't know what was revealed in there, plus I started writing this before the sixth book even came out), but I decided that in my fic Percy finally came to his senses and he and his family were able to reconcile their differences.

4) I've never actually been to a club before, so forgive me if some of the club stuff seems a bit off. I've been to some raves, some of which are sort of like clubs, so that's what I'm going to be basing it off of.


	9. An Argument and an Old Acquaintance

Summary: For the last Christmas they may ever get the chance to spend all together, the Weasley boys (Fred, George, Percy, Charlie, and Bill) are coming home to spend time with the rest of the clan (including Harry and Hermione.) But, when Bill gets there ahead of schedule and Harry has a fight with his friends, two people will end up spending more time together than anticipated and something more than brotherly love will develop. SLASH. Bill/Harry

Disclaimer: I (as you might have guessed) do not own Harry Potter or anything even remotely affiliated with it.

***Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and who has been waiting such a horrendously long time for an update. I can't believe it's been almost 4 years! I am so, so very sorry! I am terrible at finishing the stories that I start and had pretty much lost interest in writing completely for a very long time there, but I came back and reread what I had written up to this point and fell in love with it again. I'm not promising anything as far as future updates go, but I do have some ideas floating around about where I would want the story to go. Once again, thank you for all of your support, and I hope you enjoy the chapter, as uneventful and long overdue as it may be.***

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CHAPTER NINE: AN ARGUMENT AND AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE

Taking a hesitant step farther into the club, Harry took a moment to look around. Fata Morgana was unlike anywhere he had ever been in either the magical or muggle world. Although from the outside it had been silent, presumably due to a silencing spell, inside the music was loud, though not deafening, and in the center of the room was a packed dance floor. There were small, clustered seating areas surrounding the edge of the dance floor and a sort of second story balcony running around the entire club. Looking up, Harry could see both male and female dancers, go-go dancers his mind supplied from some of the images he had seen on the tele at the Dursley's house, stationed in certain spots above the stage, dancing like there was no tomorrow. Idly, Harry wondered if he would be expected to dance like _that_, and couldn't help but blush as he took in the provocative moves and skimpy attire of the dancers.

Bill had noticed where Harry's eyes had traveled and, letting out a slight chuckle, which drew Harry's attention, he leaned over. "Don't worry, I don't expect you to dance like that," Bill assured as Harry blushed slightly, though looked slightly relieved. A slight smirk coming on to Bill's face, he cheekily added, "…at least not the first time." Harry merely gave him a withering look.

Glancing back at the club's interior, Harry became somewhat distracted by the colorful, moving designs displayed behind the stage. He wondered if it was like a giant wizarding picture, or akin to a muggle movie, there were so many things that he still felt so clueless about in the wizarding world…Distracted by the display, he was startled as he felt pressure on his lower back. Glancing around he found that Bill had placed a hand to the small of his back, aiming to lead him through the crowd where the others in their group had taken off unnoticed by him.

Harry could feel a blush rising to his cheeks, but allowed Bill to lead him about in such a manner as the crowd was rather dense and he dreaded the thought of being separated from everyone. At least this way he would be sure that Bill was with him…He didn't really so much mind Bill's touch, though that thought caused his blush to deepen, but he felt rather awkward being treated in a manner that he usually thought of as being exhibited towards a girl. The comments the mirror had made during their shopping trip earlier in the day suddenly popped into his mind unbidden and he couldn't help but wonder if this is the way that Bill would treat him if he actually was the man's boyfriend.

Shaking his head slightly as if to dispel that thought, Harry tried to focus on something besides Bill's hand on him, hoping to Merlin that no one would notice his flaming cheeks in the dark atmosphere as they neared the table that Hermione, Ron, Percy, and Ginny had gathered at. Searching the crowd, Harry spotted three bright red heads of hair heading toward one of the bars nearby, unsurprised that the twins and Charlie would be heading that way right off the bat.

Having been paying close attention, Ginny was quick to note Bill's guiding hand and Harry's blush, but ignored it, knowing better than to let on that she noticed anything amiss during this delicate stage. Having gotten over her crush on Harry a few years back and now rather embarrassed about it, she found it simply adorable that Harry seemed to have a bit of a crush on her brother. She was only too happy that her brother seemed to reciprocate. They would be undeniably cute together.

Scooting over in the plush booth to allow room for first Harry and then her brother to sit, Ginny idly wondered if she would ever find anyone for herself. All of this matchmaking and these couples in the making were making her feel rather lonesome. At the tender age of sixteen, she didn't really feel the need for anything serious, but _something_ would be nice…Then again, she supposed there was no time like the present. If she couldn't find someone to at least dance with in a club full of horny teenage boys, then there really was no hope. But that could wait…for now.

"This is a lot nicer than I thought it would be," Hermione stated, breaking Ginny out of her thoughts, her voice easily heard despite the loud music due to the muffling charm placed around the table.

"Yeah," Ron agreed absently, gaze quite obviously locked on one of the scantily clad female dancers above the stage. Ginny felt the sudden urge to slap her brother upside the head. She would have slapped him with one of her trademark bat-boogey hexes if she'd been able to use her wand, but alas, she was still underage and it simply wouldn't have been worth the citation.

Hermione, too, had taken note of where Ron's eyes were glued, more than slightly miffed at the fact that although she had dressed up for the evening Ron couldn't even be bothered to spare her a glance. "You do know I was talking about the décor and not the employees, right?" Hermione asked with an edge to her voice, her irritation showing through.

"Mmm Hmm," Ron intoned in agreement, not entirely sure what exactly he was agreeing to, but knowing enough to agree with whatever Hermione said. Ginny shook her head slightly, coming to the conclusion (not for the first time) that her brother was a daft imbecile and that she was surprised Hermione put up with him at all. He really could be thick at times.

Fed up with his blatant disregard for her presence, Hermione huffed in annoyance, an action she seemed to be doing a lot of lately. Clearing her throat loudly in an attempt to gather Ron's attention, an attempt that failed miserably, she finally voiced her frustration. "If I only came here to watch you ogle some trashy dancer like a hormonally imbalanced prepubescent boy all night, then I don't know why I even bothered!" Hermione all but shouted, taking the whole table by surprise, not that most of them could blame her. Percy looked absolutely flabbergasted at the most unHermione-like outburst, while Ginny secretly cheered at the fact that Hermione was showing some backbone. Bill and Harry exchanged a quick glance, wondering what they could anticipate next.

Finally Ron had been drawn out of his stupor and turned toward Hermione with an indignant look. "I was _not_ ogling!" he protested, shifting slightly in his seat in the manner of a child who has just been caught stealing out of the cookie jar. Hermione merely glared.

Ginny, unsure if her input would be welcome, weakly inserted herself into the conversation. "You ogled, Ron, the least you could do is apologize for it…" Her brother glanced at her in a manner as to suggest a great betrayal, before turning away heatedly.

"Well, I'll ogle whomever I like, then," Ron announced petulantly, and though he looked away from the table, Ginny noted that his eyes did not return to the dancer.

Ginny figured that a distraction was in order to dispel some of the tension now present. "I feel like dancing," she announced to the table at large. "Anyone care to join me?" she questioned, her gaze turning to the only other girl present. "Hermione?" she prompted, hoping that stealing her away to dance would get her idiot of a brother to finally turn his attention back to her. Perhaps after a few cute boys sidled a little too close to 'Mione on the dance floor…

Sending one last glare in Ron's direction, Hermione followed Ginny out of the booth as Harry and Bill stood aside to let them out. Ron's eyes followed Hermione, but he made no move otherwise. Percy, feeling distinctly uncomfortable, muttered a false sounding, "I think I see someone I know, better go say hi," before hastily making his exit, leaving Ron, Harry, and Bill alone at the table.

Harry cleared his throat a couple of times, preparing to speak, knowing he should say something to Ron, but no words came to mind and eventually he gave up. Turning to him, Ron looked somewhat abashed. "I've really fucked up this time, haven't I, mate?" he questioned rhetorically, glancing toward the dance floor. Spotting a tall blonde boy talking to Hermione and apparently trying to get her to dance, he muttered angrily under his breath, stalking off without so much as a word to Harry or his brother.

Bill let out a somewhat awkward chuckle, shaking his head slightly at the whole scene that had transpired in the span of five minutes. "Well, that was…unexpected. Let's hope they get together soon, or I'm afraid we're all going to be in for a very long and trying holiday," Bill supplied, resting his arm on the back of the cushioned seat and leaning back in a relaxed pose. His face suddenly took on a contemplative look as he seemed to consider something. "If they do get together, though, I don't know what mum'll do. Probably go into conniptions, though whether out of excitement or anger we'll have to wait and see. Most likely she'll start making plans for the wedding and talking about grandchildren…" he trailed off with a chuckle and turned to Harry with a grin, who let out a snort of laughter at the thought. He could just imagine Ron's face if Mrs. Weasley started getting on his case about weddings and grandchildren.

Laughing a little louder, Harry leaned back in his seat, stiffening slightly as his neck came into contact with Bill's arm, which was stretched across the seat behind him. Attempting to ignore the adrenaline that had shot through his veins at the realization that Bill practically had his arm around him, Harry tried to fight the inevitable blush as he forced himself to relax. He wondered, not for the first time that day, if Bill was simply being friendly and acting in a way that he would with any of his friends or if it was something more. It certainly felt like something more, but Harry knew little to nothing about things of this nature, his one date with Cho Chang and his attendance of the Yule Ball being his only experience with dating and the like and both having been absolute disasters. Surely Bill would think him a silly little kid if he knew…

Growing anxious with the thought, Harry was suddenly reminded of how much older Bill was than him, a full eight years older, not to mention the fact that he was Ron's brother, his _eldest_ brother at that. Surely Bill didn't think of Harry as anything other than his little brother's best friend or a surrogate brother at best. Bill couldn't possibly like _him_ of all people, at least not _like_ like him. And what did it matter anyway, Harry himself wasn't gay, not that he'd ever really given much thought to the matter before or anything…Sure, Bill made him nervous, but that was it, right? That didn't mean he was gay…did it? How does one know?

Thoughts rushing a mile a minute, Harry hardly noticed as Bill started speaking again, and barely caught the tail end of Bill's question regarding whether he was ready to learn how to dance or not. Feeling a burst of anxiety at the thought of dancing with the man when he had no idea what the elder meant by it, Harry tried to keep the wariness off his face. "Umm…I-I d-don't really think I want to dance right now," he managed to stutter out, feeling embarrassed. Thinking quickly, he added, "Actually, I kind of wanted to get a drink first."

Bill smiled reassuringly, picking up on Harry's unease, but attributing it to his being nervous about dancing in front of so many people. A drink was actually a good idea; it might help him loosen up a little and enjoy himself instead of looking like he was about to face an angry hippogriff. "I'd be happy to get you something, if you don't mind having to sit here alone for a few minutes while I grab it," Bill offered kindly.

Confused again by the implication of Bill buying him a drink, Harry wasn't really sure how to reply. "I don't mind," he replied truthfully, the thought of having a few minutes to sort himself out a welcome one.

"Great. What can I get for you?" Bill continued, smiling again as Harry frowned at the question, looking as if he had absolutely no idea how to answer. Bill suspected that he had never been out to drink anywhere before and didn't know what to get. He found it cute, though the thought of Harry barely being of legal age made him wonder what the hell he was doing trying to hit on him. Ginny seemed to be all for the idea, and it wasn't as if there was anything _wrong_ with it, but while Harry seemed so much older than his seventeen years in so many ways, this was not one of them. Reminding himself that there was no need to rush things, Bill focused back on the matter at hand. "Do you want something sweet? I could get you a gin fizz," he offered, knowing that if Harry was unused to drinking that something sweet would probably be more to his liking.

Harry readily agreed, though uncertain what exactly this gin fizz was, although he could surmise that it contained gin. Bill nodded and headed toward the bar, leaving Harry alone with his thoughts. He thought the lack of conversation would be welcome, but his head hurt already from all of the thoughts spinning in it, leading him around in circles and getting him nowhere, so he attempted to push them away by searching for his friends on the dance floor. He spotted Ginny's long, bright red hair and noticed that she was dancing with a boy a little taller than she was and seemed to be having fun. Looking in the area surrounding her, Harry spotted Ron, sticking out in the crowd due to his height and his Weasley trademark bright red hair. He and Hermione seemed to have made up, as they were dancing together. Harry was glad to see that things seemed to be back on track.

He was surprised to hear someone call out his name, and looking to his left he spotted a familiar face, though one he had not seen in quite some time. "Oliver?" he questioned with surprise, an almost confused look coming onto his face, not having expected the older boy to be here let alone hastily approaching him.

"I thought that was you. You've changed quite a bit since I last saw you..." Oliver trailed off, seeming to take in his new appearance as Harry smiled somewhat uncomfortably. Surely Oliver had seen at least one of the many fairly recent pictures that The Daily Prophet had printed of him, but his 'make-over' would make his appearance now differ markedly from even those. "How have you been?"

Letting out a slight sigh, Harry was dismayed by the admittedly rather ordinary question. He'd been…well, he wasn't really sure. So much had happened since he'd last seen Oliver…Voldemort had risen again, people had _died_, and Harry had found out more than he'd ever wanted to know about his connection to the Dark Lord. And then there was this whole Bill thing, if it even was a thing, though that seemed trivial in comparison to all the rest. He chose to go with a simple, but fairly truthful, "Alright." He quickly chose to change the subject and divert the attention from himself. "So, I've heard that you're playing for Puddlemere…How do you like it?"

Oliver's face lit up at the mention of Quidditch, and Harry couldn't help but smile as he thought back to when Oliver had been captain of the team and his extreme (often frightening) enthusiasm for the sport. Harry scooted over a bit, allowing Oliver a little more room on the bench as he sat down before answering. "I've only been on the reserves so far, though I've gotten to play in a few games when Hadley was sick," he mentioned and then his face broke out into a huge grin. "I've just found out today, though, that Hadley's retired, rather unexpected, but it means that I'll be keeper starting the first of the year!"

"That's great!" Harry exclaimed honestly, smiling broadly at his old teammate, knowing how much this would mean to him. He was truly happy for Oliver, though he wondered what had made Hadley up and retire so unexpectedly…probably the impending war, but Harry didn't want to dwell on such things at the moment. "Congratulations," he added for good measure.

"Thanks. Look, some of the team and my friends came out to celebrate…You should come over and have a glass of champagne with us. I'm sure they would love to meet you," Oliver offered with a smile. Taking in Harry's somewhat nervous look at that and figuring that he was wary about being introduced to people who would only see him as the boy-who-lived and treat him like any number of adoring fans had, he quickly added on, "You could even tell them what a great captain I made, maybe talk me up a bit…And you and Arial could commiserate about the woes of being famous in the wizarding world." He gave Harry a somewhat wry smile. "I'm sure she'd be more than happy to tell you about all of the marriage proposals she's received…" he laughed slightly, knowing that a drunk Arial could rant and rave about such incidences for hours if no one stopped her. Glancing back at Harry he gave him a once over. "I'm sure you've had your fair share as well."

Harry blushed slightly at the implication, though laughed along with Oliver good-naturedly. "Sounds fun, but Bill just went to grab me a drink and he should be back any minute…" Harry declined politely, trailing off as he wondered what seemed to be taking Bill so long. Oliver seemed slightly disappointed, but Harry doubted that anything could seriously dampen his mood, considering what he was celebrating.

"Well, if you change your mind, we're sitting right over there," Oliver supplied, pointing to the other side of the club, "and there's more than enough champagne to go around…" He seemed to hesitate a moment, before sending a bright smile Harry's way. "It was good seeing you again, Harry. If you're ever interested in coming to a game, I'd be more than happy to hook you up with some tickets." Hastily fishing inside of a jacket pocket, he produced what looked like a business card, Puddlemere United's logo (a blue shield with two crossed gold bulrushes) glinting magically on one side. Tapping his wand to the card, he handed it to Harry. "Feel free to owl me through my agent…or if you'd prefer, I've added my personal information."

Harry was a tad surprised, but pleasantly so. While Harry was certainly a fan of Quidditch, he knew that Ron would go ballistic if he was able to get them tickets to a game. "Thanks! I might take you up on that," he accepted with a smile. "It was good to see you too, Oliver. And have fun celebrating, you deserve it," he added, awkwardly accepting an exuberant hug from Oliver before the other boy stood up, turned to leave…and bumped right into Bill, who had apparently just returned with the drinks.

TO BE CONTINUED…

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Author's Notes: Okay...so, it's been a very long time...Really, I don't know what to say except that I lost all interest in writing and all inspiration for the story for a very very long time. Hopefully I will continue to be inspired and will actually finish this, but just to warn you, that will be very unlikely. Anyway, this chapter is rather uneventful, though it does give some helpful insight into what some of the characters (namely Bill and Harry) are thinking. I hope everyone is okay with me throwing Oliver in there, and no he will not be involved with Harry, though I haven't decided yet whether or not to have him be interested in Harry (which is somewhat hinted at here). Mostly he just makes Bill a little uncomfortable and perhaps a tad jealous, though Bill isn't really the possessive, jealous type as far as I'm concerned.

If anyone is interested, here are the ages of the Weasley siblings that I have come up with. Not really sure if they're very accurate, but for the purposes of the story I think they work work best like this.

Ginny: 16  
Ron: 17  
Twins: 20  
Percy: 21  
Charley: 23  
Bill: 25

And thank you again for all of the wonderful and continuing support you all have shown for this story. I'm so glad that so many other people seem to enjoy this pairing as much as I do! As always, let me know what you think; suggestions or corrections are always welcome. (Btw, I am going through some of the past chapters to correct any minor spelling errors and such that I have noticed in the reread, but do not plan on changing anything in the past chapters in any substantial way.)


	10. Dances and Death Eaters

Summary: For the last Christmas they may ever get the chance to spend all together, the Weasley boys (Fred, George, Percy, Charlie, and Bill) are coming home to spend time with the rest of the clan (including Harry and Hermione.) But, when Bill gets there ahead of schedule and Harry has a fight with his friends, two people will end up spending more time together than anticipated and something more than brotherly love will develop. SLASH. Bill/Harry

Disclaimer: I (as you might have guessed) do not own Harry Potter or anything even remotely affiliated with it.

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CHAPTER TEN: DANCES AND DEATH EATERS

"_It was good to see you too, Oliver. And have fun celebrating, you deserve it," Harry added, awkwardly accepting an exuberant hug from Oliver before the other boy stood up, turned to leave…and bumped right into Bill, who had apparently just returned with the drinks…_

Having witnessed the hug between Harry and who he now recognized to be Oliver Wood (a boy who had been a reserve for the Gryffindor team when Bill had played for it in his last year at Hogwarts), Bill greeted the two with a somewhat stiff hello. Oliver recognized Bill as well. "Hey, how've you been, Bill? Long time, no see…I'd best be getting back to my friends, good to see you." And with that he was off, offering a small wave goodbye, mostly toward Harry, and heading through the crowd in the direction of his own table.

Bill couldn't help but feel a tad uncomfortable, and was left wondering at Wood and Harry's relationship. They were friendly enough to hug, and though he had never been the jealous type, he couldn't help feeling a bit anxious at the familiarity between the two boys. He knew from experience how quidditch could…bring people together, so to speak. All those boys changing and showering together…But he was sure he would have heard if there had ever been anything between Harry and Wood, and besides, Wood had probably been too old for Harry when they were in school together. _Wood_ being too old for Harry, oh the irony.

Pushing the thought of their age differences aside for the time being, Bill sat down in the recently vacated seat next to Harry and handed Harry his drink as he took a sip of his ale. Harry smiled at Bill and thanked him before taking an inquiring sip of the gin fizz. It was certainly better than he'd thought it would be considering that the only liquor he had tried before had been straight fire-whiskey that the twins and later Seamus had snuck into the dorms.

"I ran into Charlie and the twins at the bar. They're all well on their way to being two sheets to the wind, though Merlin knows they can all outdrink a goblin any day. I believe they were on their fifth boilermaker when I left," Bill declared, shaking his head with fond amusement. At Harry's slightly confused look, Bill clarified, "They were drinking a shot of whiskey with their beers."

"That sounds terrible," Harry opined, making a face at the thought. "Why on Earth would you want to drink such a thing?" he asked rhetorically.

Bill shrugged, chuckling slightly. "I prefer to stick to ale myself, but to each his own."

Sipping his drink, Harry's thoughts returned to his earlier musings about why Bill would be interested in him of all people. Sure, he was the-boy-who-lived, but beyond that, he was really rather plain and dull to be quite frank and horribly inept in situations like these…A horrifying notion suddenly came to him. What if Bill was only keeping him company out of some sort of sense of duty that he felt toward him because of his position as an Order member? Harry's heart sank at the thought.

Although not knowing the reason for it, Bill picked up on Harry's slight distress. "You know, most people go out to clubs to have fun," he teased lightly. "Relax a little and don't worry so much; there will be plenty of time for that later, but for now just allow yourself to get a little tipsy so that you might actually be able to dance later and not die of fright," he joked.

Taking a deep breath, Harry forced himself to relax. Bill was right, there was no use in fretting over things when he was here to have fun. And besides, he had faced Voldemort (and he would use the God damned name if it so pleased him) on numerous occasions, and he certainly wouldn't let his Gryffindor bravery fail him now! He gave Bill a big smile to let him know he was taking his advice and took a large gulp of his drink.

Loud, raucous laughter announced Charlie, George, and Fred's arrival at the table, a pint in each of their hands. Settling into the other side of the bench, the three seemed to look at each other in what Harry deemed a suspicious manner, laughing at something that only they seemed to get, before George suddenly cleared his throat in what was apparently a cue to the others. Together they burst into song:

"_His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad,  
His hair is as dark as a blackboard!  
I wish he was mine, he's really divine,  
The hero who conquered the Dark Lord!"_

Harry was too shocked at first to do more than stare at them dumbfounded as they sang to him, though he soon started to turn red as realization dawned on him, and Bill looked as if he was debating whether to be confused or amused. The three singers burst into laughter again at the reactions they'd received, though Fred's amusement was cut short as Ginny came rushing up to the table and, with an uncharacteristic resort to physical violence, punched him rather hard on the arm. Harry by now was blushing madly and trying to hide his head in his hands, embarrassed that Bill, and apparently Charlie, had been made aware of the singing Valentine incident from second year that he would have gladly not brought up again for the rest of his life.

"Oi! Gin? What was that for?" Fred whined, trying to give her his most innocent look. Ginny was most displeased and, not being drunk herself as the others clearly were, was certainly not fooled. She had come back to the table as the last verse was being sung and, like Harry, was not happy about the reminder of this particular incidence from her first year.

"Shut it, you!" she shouted at Fred. Turning toward Charlie and George, she added, "And that goes for you lot as well!" She gave them all her most threatening glare, but the effects were lost as the three merely burst out laughing once more.

"Aww…is poor ickle Ginnykins embarrassed about her Valentine for Harry?" George cooed, giggling. "No need, sis, after all, Fred and I think it's a lovely little poem, don't we Fred?"

"Oh, yes, quite. A fine piece of poetry that is. And no need to be embarrassed, Harry, you _are_ 'really divine'," Fred added with a fake, adoring sigh, keeping his laughter in check as he pretended to be serious. "Don't you agree, Bill?" Here he couldn't help but let a devious smirk grace his face as he gave a pointed look to his older brother before sharing a knowing look with his twin.

Bill, cottoning on to the fact that the twins seemed to be aware of his recent realization that he fancied Harry, attempted to act as nonchalantly as possible so as to give them little fuel. "Yes, I agree that that's a fine bit of poetry," Bill agreed, purposefully ignoring the statement about Harry being divine. "I'm sure you two were quite pleased with yourselves when you came up with it."

"Well, I never! Fred, do you hear what he's accusing us of? Really, as if we would ever meddle in Gin's life like that. And I'm sure Ginny is quite insulted that you think her incapable of writing such an inspired little ditty," George exclaimed with false indignation.

Ginny did indeed look insulted, but not at Bill's words. "Why you…! We had a deal, remember? You were to never, _ever_ sing that song again or imply that _I _was the one who wrote it and for my part I would keep my mouth shut abo-" Ginny's tirade was abruptly cut off as Fred clapped a hand across her mouth. He snatched it back, though, almost as quickly as he had put it there.

"Blimey! She got me!" he exclaimed, playing up the offense as if he had been wounded.

"What, did she bite you?!" Charlie inquired, sparing a wary glance toward Ginny, who had crawled under the table and was now sitting safely beside Harry and looking completely remorseless and in fact quite pleased with herself.

"Worse! She licked me, the little wench!" Fred exclaimed dramatically. "I'll never be rid of the cooties," he declared with fake remorse and his best woe-is-me look.

Bill merely raised an eyebrow while all of this transpired, as Harry rolled his eyes. Ginny merely waited patiently for the theatrics to be done with. "As I was saying," she continued nonchalantly, "since Fred and George don't seem to be able to keep up their end of the bargain, it only seems fair that I should no longer keep up mine." She smiled at Fred and George in turn, drawing things out purposefully for her own amusement.

"Fine," George deadpanned, surprising Ginny enough to wipe the smirk off her face. "You can go ahead and tell everyone everything, but then that gives us free reign to sing _your_ lovely Valentine whenever and wherever we want," he declared with glee, as his twin sent him a joyful look. Ginny did not like the look nor sound of this. Not at all.

"You're lucky I'm underage," she ground out, itching to send a bat-bogey hex their way. The twins merely smiled cheekily at her. "Swear a wizard's oath to me that you will never, and I mean _never_, sing that wretched thing again _and_ that you will refrain from pranking anyone in any way for the rest of the holidays and I will in turn refrain from telling Ron the truth about the you-know-what," Ginny offered slyly.

"Maybe we don't care if Ron does know about the you-know-what," Fred replied loudly, feigning nonchalance. It was most inopportune that Ron happened to overhear.

"What about me and what exactly?" Ron questioned, confused but extremely suspicious considering that the twins were involved. Hermione had trailed Ron back to the table, and she too was giving the twins a suspicious look.

Harry sighed. He was not really in the mood for what looked like another argument of some sort. His drink had started to kick in and he was feeling a bit buzzed, the last thing he needed was for it to be killed by all of this. Bill seemed to sense Harry's dilemma and quickly came to his rescue.

"I believe it's time for that dance lesson," he informed Harry, standing up and waiting for Harry to join him, which he was more than glad to do. "And this had better be sorted out when we get back or I might have to set all of you straight," he added for good measure to the table at large.

Grasping Harry's hand, Bill led him through the crowd a ways until he'd found a spot with enough room to dance. Leaning in, Bill tried to explain how to dance as Harry stood awkwardly, unsure of what exactly to do. "Just listen to the music, feel the beat, and move to it. That's about it. Most importantly just move; you kind of figure out what you're doing the more you do it. And have fun."

Looking around at everyone else, Harry attempted to imitate the swaying motions and hand movements that he saw others doing. He wasn't really sure if he was doing it right, but at least no one seemed to be staring at him. He watched as Bill started dancing, moving with the music with such fluidity and style that Harry felt somewhat embarrassed at his own lame attempts. Smiling, Bill sidled up to him and deftly encircled Harry with his arms from behind. "Just let yourself get lost in the music and forget about what others might think or how you compare to them," Bill advised, his breath tickling Harry's ear.

Harry felt his breath hitch at the older boy's closeness. He allowed himself to melt into Bill, Bill's movements serving to guide his own. At first his heart beat madly in his chest and his anxiety increased, but after a minute he got used to it and started to relax. His mind was certainly not on the crowd anymore and as he focused on simply matching Bill's movements and listening to the music, he found himself finally able to understand why others actually enjoyed dancing, when before he had always thought they were simply nutters.

Harry was startled out of his elation as someone grabbed his hand and he looked up to find Ginny smiling brightly at him. Harry flushed at her seeing him dancing so close to Bill, but Ginny seemed to be ecstatic to find them like this. Drawing Harry away from Bill, she suggested that Bill get another drink for himself and Harry. Although he rolled his eyes, Bill allowed her to get rid of him for the time being.

"So, do you like Bill then?" Ginny questioned deviously, leaning in so he could hear her.

"Oh, umm…of course I like Bill," Harry stated, purposefully ignoring Ginny's implication.

Ginny gave him a look and Harry knew he wasn't going to get off that easy. "That's not how I meant it," she stated simply.

"Well, then, I don't know…I mean, I guess so, but well, I don't really know what-" Harry cut himself off, knowing that he was rambling but not really sure what he was trying to say. He sighed loudly and shrugged his shoulders in a helpless motion, hoping that Ginny wouldn't press the matter. Did he like Bill? He supposed so, but then again he and Bill had never kissed or anything, so how could he be sure? He still wasn't even sure if he was gay or not…

"I'm pretty sure that he likes you. Just thought you should know," Ginny informed Harry matter-of-factly before thankfully changing the subject. "Dance with me," she urged, as if she hadn't just thrown him for a loop with her statement. He obliged her, trying not to think too hard about him and Bill.

Remembering Bill's advice and the feeling he'd had while dancing with him, Harry allowed himself to just feel the rhythm and move to it without trying to keep track of any special steps or placement of hands and the like. It was rather freeing and helped to clear his mind. The more he danced, the more he seemed to enjoy it. Here, in the midst of so many people, none of them staring at him or gawking, he actually felt relaxed. The fact that the alcohol seemed to have loosened his inhibitions just enough to not feel so self-conscious certainly didn't hurt either.

A sudden, whispered voice speaking into his ear jolted Harry from his trance. "Left pocket. Read the paper and follow it's instructions if you know what's good for you. Do it now. You're going to have to trust me on this," a voice that sounded familiar to Harry but that he couldn't quite place commanded in all seriousness as a note was simultaneously slipped into his left pocket. Harry stood frozen in shock for a second too long, for when he turned around he could not spot the person who had just approached him.

The sudden thought that it could be a trick, that the paper would turn out to be a portkey and that he would be whisked away to Voldemort like at the end of forth year came to him. His heart beat madly in his chest. His gut told him that this was not a trap, though, and that it was important that he listen to the stranger who had slipped the note to him. While his gut instincts had often gotten him into trouble in the past, they had also served him well, so despite his better judgment he pulled the folded piece of parchment from his jeans.

Glad that he had not been whisked away as soon as he touched it, Harry hastily unfolded the note and read it.

"_Get out of here now! Don't try to be a hero. Make sure you get yourself out; the Death Eaters are coming for you and you alone. You are too important to be captured! Do not tell the others about this note now; tell them you were warned by a vision. You cannot apparate inside the building. If you have a portkey, use it without arousing suspicion. If not, you can apparate once you are outside the building; there is an exit out back past the bathrooms. Hurry!"_

He read through it a second time before the reality of the situation sunk in and he leapt into action. He didn't bother to ponder who could have sent him the message and why, he simply couldn't afford to waste the time on such things if what the note said turned out to be true. Pushing his way past a couple of people, he pulled Ginny away from whatever random bloke she had been dancing with.

About to protest at her rough treatment, Ginny turned around, but the words died on her lips at the distressed look on Harry's face. "What's wrong?"

"We need to get out of here. Now!" Harry stressed, leaving no room for argument. "Grab Percy and meet me back at the table. I'm going to go get Bill. Tell everyone that we have to go," Harry urged her, hoping that she would simply obey without protest or question. He did not want to waste time trying to talk her into this.

Although she was itching with the need to know what was going on, Ginny knew Harry well enough to know when to simply follow orders. "Alright," she readily agreed before turning and pushing her way through the crowd in the direction she had last seen Percy.

Harry sighed with relief before making his own way toward the bright red head of hair at the bar. He didn't care how many toes he stepped on or shoves he delivered in his haste to get to Bill. Reaching him, he grabbed his arm, shaking it to get his attention.

Bill was surprised to see Harry standing next to him at the bar, looking harried and anxious. It was obvious that something was wrong. Harry cut in before Bill had the chance to speak, "We have to go. We're meeting the others at the table. Come on." Harry grabbed Bill's hand, all shyness and nervousness gone, and started to lead the other man off. He noticed Bill's confused glance in the direction of the drinks he had just received. "Leave the drinks. We have more important things to worry about."

By the time Bill and Harry had managed to push their way back through the crowd, the rest of the Weasley gang was gathered around the table, all with concerned but questioning looks. Harry didn't have time to appease their curiosity at the moment, however; they had to get out of here quickly. He had to make sure they were all safe. An image of Oliver Wood popped into his head and he almost left to search for the boy and warn him, before thinking back to the note…_the Death Eaters are coming for you and you alone_. He hoped that meant that Oliver would be alright. Besides, he had more than enough people to worry about at the moment.

"Does anyone have a portkey?" Harry questioned gravely.

Percy was the first to voice the concerns that were surely present in all of their minds. "Portkeys are only approved for a specific use unless in a dire situation. What is going on?"

"Look, I don't have time for that right now! I had a vision that Death Eaters are on their way as we speak; we need to get out of here. Now, does anyone have a portkey or not?" Harry demanded. He really didn't need anyone to be questioning any of this right now, though he was sure he must seem like a madman. No one else in the club appeared to have a care in the world. He knew he would feel silly later if it turned out that the Death Eaters weren't after him, and surely questions as to his sanity would arise, but at the moment he couldn't care less.

Taking in the gravity of the situation, Bill pulled out his wand and used it to remove the tooth earring that he habitually wore. "Here. It's a portkey; it will take us to the Burrow," he offered, holding it out in the palm of his hand for the others to see.

Harry was relieved to hear that. "Good, but we can't just use it in front of everyone like this," Harry announced, glancing around at all of the people. Someone was bound to notice if they portkeyed from here, especially with so many of them.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of that," Charlie assured, casting a variation of the notice-me-not charm that he used on a regular bases in his line of work.

Activating the portkey with a flick of his wand, Bill held his palm out, so the others could touch the earring. "Hold onto the person next to you with one hand," he instructed, knowing that the portkey was small and that it would be hard for everyone to be able to touch it; this way they could make sure that no one would get left behind.

Harry felt Bill grab onto his left shoulder as he in turn grabbed onto Ginny's shoulder with his right hand. He sent a small smile Bill's way, relieved that they would be safely back at the Burrow in a few moments. As he took in Bill's reassuring smile, something in his periphery caught his attention. Figures in black cloaks and white masks. It seemed the Death Eaters had come after all. The pit of Harry's stomach dropped with a sickening feeling, whether from his sighting or the portkey activating he wasn't sure, as with a pull at his navel he was on his way back to the Burrow.

TO BE CONTINUED…

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Author's Notes: Thank you so much for all of the wonderful reviews! I am so happy that there is continued interest in this story! For those of you who read this story when I originally posted it so very, _very_ long ago, I thank you for returning and apologize for the extremely long wait. I'm not really sure where I'm going with the story in this chapter, but I think it will start getting more dramatic from here on.

For those of you who may be wondering about the backstory and such for this fic, I'm not exactly sure what canon I plan on including at this point, but as I started this fic so long ago, I pretty much was relying on books 1-4 and then making things up from there. Basically, things have been pretty quite up to this point and therefore relatively safe as Voldemort has been busy gathering followers and building up his strength and staging his coop and so forth. More details about what has transpired from 4th year up to this point will be presented as they become relevant.

Also, I am in the process of editing chapters 4-8, having finished with 1-3. So far I have only made minor changes; if I change anything integral to the story I will be sure to announce it. Please let me know if you see any glaring errors or discrepancies.


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